Class-VIII

Chapter number- 5

Chapter name - Cloud and Rain

1 marks questions
1. What is drizzle?

Ans. When very tiny droplets of air( less than 0.5 mm in diameter) come down to the surface of
the Earth as rain it is called drizzle.

2. What is Isohyet?

Ans. Rainfall varies in different parts of the world. Places of the world having same average
annual rainfall are joined on a map by Isohyet lines.

3. Define eye of cyclone.

Ans. Generally tropical Cyclones are formed between 5° and 20° parallels of latitude in both
hemispheres. Air pressure is least at the centre of this Cyclones and this part is called the eye of
the Cyclone.

4. Define precipitation.

Ans. Water droplets descending from the atmosphere to the surface of the air in the influence
of gravitational pull is called precipitation.

5. What is dew point?

Ans. The temperature at which air gets saturated is its dew point.

6. Define condensation.

Ans. The change of water vapour into water droplets is called condensation.

7. When air becomes saturated?

Ans. When a specific quantity of air holds the maximum amount of water vapour that it can hold
at a specific temperature it is said to be saturated.

8. What is Mackerel sky?

Ans. The Cirrocumulus Cloud makes the sky look like the scaled body of a mackerel fish So Sky
covered in this cloud is called Mackerel Sky.
2 marks questions
1. Why the cumulonimbus cloud is called the thunder cloud?

Ans. Cumulonimbus cloud may be whitish grey and black and is somewhat dome-shaped. It has
a great vertical extent of about 12,000 ft. upward from the layer of air adjacent to the surface of
the earth. The top of this cloud is flattened and the bottom is also almost flat. This cloud
causes violent thunderstorms and torrential rain. So it is also called Thunder Cloud.

2. Briefly discuss rainshadow region?

Ans. After drenhing the windward slope with abundant rainfall, the air is almost devoid of
moisture when it reashes the leeward slope. As the air descends, it gets warmer and its
capacity to hold moisture is again enhanced. So, the air becomes unsaturated. These factors
lead to much less rainfall in the leeward slope in comparison to the windward slope. So the
leeward slope is known as the Rain Shadow Region.

3. Define relative humidity.

Ans. The ratio of the amount of vapour present in a specific temperature to the amout of water
vapour needed to saturate the same volume of air at the same temperature is called relative
humidity. This ratio is expressed as a percentage.

4. What is hailstorm ?

Ans. An ascending air curent may carry water particles to a great height. Here they are rapidly
cooled to form simall particles of ice. When more droplets of water gather around these ice
particles, they expand in volume and reach the earth's surface with rainfall. Thís is called
Hailstorm.

Hailstorms cause some damage to crops and weakly constructed structures. They are
sometimes seen in West Bengal during the spring or summer.
3 marks questions
1. Write dfferences between absolute and relative humidity.

Subject Absolute humidity Relative humidity

Measures Absolute humidity measures Relative humidity measures

the actual amount of water water vapour relative to
vapour present in a certain temperature in a certain unit
unit of air mass of air mass

Expressed as Absolute humidity is Relative humidity is expressed

expressed as grams in percentage
/kilogrammes per metre cube

Influenced by Absolute humidity is Creative humidity is

influenced by distribution of influenced by Temperature of
land and water in a certain a region and Geographical
area location

Formula Mass of water(g)/ volume of Amount of water vapour in

air (meter cube) air/ Amount of water vapour
added to reach saturation x
100

2. Write differences between tropical and temperate cyclone.

Subject Tropical cyclone Temperate cyclone

Direction of movement Tropical Cyclone moves from Temperature Cyclone moves

east to west from Westt to East

Affected area Tropical Cyclone affects Temporate Cyclone affects

smaller areas much larger area

Wind velocity Tropical cyclone Initiate high Temperate Cyclone initiates

wind velocity often causing low wind velocity
Devastating storm

Lasting period Tropical Cyclone lasts not Temperate Cyclone can last
more than seven days between 15 and 20 days
3. Write dfferences between windward and leeward slope.

Subject Windward slope Lee ward slope

Rainfall received Windward slope of the Leeward slope of the

mountain receives heavy mountain receives very little
rainfall rainfall and often no rainfall

Wind movement Ascending wind strikes Wind descends in this slope

against this slope and thus which does not Have enough
huge rainfall is received moisture Content thus This
slope receives nominal rainfall

Climate This slope of mountain is This slope of the mountain is

characterised by hot and characterised by hot and dry
humid climate climate

Rainshadow area Rain shadow area does not Rain shadow region develops
develop on this side of the in this slope of mountain
mountain as it receives ample Because it is mostly devoid of
amount of orographic rainfall rainfall

5 marks questions
1. Discuss Mechanism and illustration of orographic rainfall.

Ans. When a mountain or any upland stands in the path of moisture laden wind from the sea,
the wind is blocked in its path and rises along the slope of the natural barrier. The rising air
expands and cools down. When the wind rises further it gets saturated, the water vapour in it
condenses and this leads to rainfall. This type of rainfall is called Orographic Rainfall or Relief
Rainfall. The slope along which wind ascends and causes rainfall is the Windward Siope of the
upland. The opposite slope, along which the wind descends, is the Leeward Slope.

Due to much less rainfall in the leeward slope in comparison to the windward slope. So the
leeward slope is known as the Rain Shadow Region.
2. Discuss Mechanism and illustration of convectional rainfall.

Ans. Areas that receive almost perpendicular rays of the sun throughout the year and have a
large extent of water mass experience more evaporation. In these areas the air over land and
water collect a lot of moisture and the warm and light air rises to expand. Due to low pressure
of the rising air its temperature is also lowered. But the amount of water vapour remaining same
in the cooler air mass, now the air is moist than it is hot, i.e. the Relative Humidity of air
increases. The air gradually gets even cooler and saturated and the water vapour in it
condenses into small droplets of water. These droplets gather around dust particles to form
clouds (generally cumulonimbus clouds). These clouds get denser and the drops of water get
bigger before they fall down to the surface of the earth as rain. This type of rainfall is
Convectional Rainfall. Convectional rainfall generally takes place in the afternoon or evening and
is usually torrential and thunderous, This type of rainfall is restricted to small areas.
3. Discuss Mechanism and illustration of temperate cyclone.

Ans. When a low pressure forms in the temperate region, warm and moist wind from the tropics
and cold and dry wind from the polar region rush towards it. A disturbance is created when
these Winds meet. The warm air mass Overrides the cold one as it is lighter. The moisture in the
warm air condenses on contact with the cold air and causes rainfall. Rainfall during a temperate
cyclone is drizzling and lingering, unlike tropical cyclone where thunder showers are seen. This
type ofrainfall occurs in the mid-latitudes in winter.