Which way do raindrops fall

The cause is the weak hydrogen bonds that occur between water molecules. On smaller raindrops, the surface tension is stronger than in larger drops. The reason is the flow of air around the drop. As the raindrop falls, it loses that rounded shape. The raindrop becomes more like the top half of a hamburger bun. Flattened on the bottom and with a curved dome top, raindrops are anything but the classic tear shape. The reason is due to their speed falling through the atmosphere.

Air flow on the bottom of the water drop is greater than the airflow at the top. At the top, small air circulation disturbances create less air pressure. It kept me wanting to read on. I am the kind of person who does seek questions like this. To some people it may not be important. Mark, you are absolutely correct!

Thanks Amber, this is what I like about Farmers Almanac, always interesting bits of information to get you thinking. There is some bad information here regarding a raindrops speed. The term knot refers to nautical miles per hour the speed in this article is said to be 20 knots per second… this phrase in itself is incorrect….

Otherwise a very interesting article, although most of us never give it a thought. KJ: Condensation nuclei can be made from just about anything that comes in small enough particles — dust and dirt, salt and even things like soot from forest fires or ash from volcanoes. At 78 years, I had never given any thought to the shape of rain drops, Very, very instersting article.

I am sure they to have never thought of the subject. Thanks so much. An excellent article about something I never thought about until now. From now on I will think about and appreciate each raindrop. I never thought of the shape of a rain drop. I only saw them as a splat on the ground. I love it when it rains or snows. Thanks for the research.

As with most of Farmers Almanac investigative articles, I learned a lot. I would never have thought much about raindrop shapes or how fast they fall to the ground. You know, my exs are all like raindrops. They came in four different shapes. Depending on their size. Moon Phase Calendar. Email Facebook 1 Pinterest Twitter. What Shape Are Raindrops?

Find out below. The air is full of water, even if you can't see it. Higher in the sky where it is colder than at the land surface, invisible water vapor condenses into tiny liquid water droplets—clouds.

When the cloud droplets combine to form heavier cloud drops which can no longer "float" in the surrounding air, it can start to rain, snow, and hail Rain and snow are key elements in the Earth's water cycle, which is vital to all life on Earth.

Rainfall is the main way that the water in the skies comes down to Earth, where it fills our lakes and rivers, recharges the underground aquifers, and provides drinks to plants and animals. Skip to main content. Search Search. Water Science School. Are Raindrops Shaped Like Teardrops? Raindrops are Different Shapes. Learn more about rain and related topics:.

Date published: June 6, Attribution: Water Resources. Filter Total Items: 2.