Why are dewdrops not formed on a cloudy night?

1. Clouds absorb the radiation released from the Earth’s surface.
2. Clouds reflect back the Earth’s radiation.
3. The Earth’s surface would have low temperature on cloudy nights.
4. Clouds deflect the blowing wind to ground level.

Explanation

Option (b) is correct

• On cloudy nights, the presence of clouds acts as a barrier that reflects the Earth’s radiation back towards the surface. This reflection helps to retain heat, preventing the surface temperature from cooling sufficiently to reach the dew point.
• When the surface temperature drops to the dew point, water vapor in the air can condense into droplets, forming dewdrops. However, because clouds maintain a warmer temperature by reflecting radiation, the conditions necessary for dew formation are inhibited. Thus, the reason dewdrops do not form on cloudy nights is primarily due to the clouds reflecting the Earth’s radiation, which keeps the surface temperature high for dew to condense.

Answer: (b) Clouds reflect back the Earth’s radiation; Difficulty Leve: Easy