<p><a href="http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Clouds</a> consist of suspended (floating) liquid water droplets ("liquid clouds"), frozen (solid) ice particles ("ice clouds"), or a mixture of both ("mixed phase clouds").  In-between those droplets or ice particles (meteorologists use the phrase <a href="http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Hydrometeor" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><em>hydrometeor</em></a> to encompass both) is air which will contain water vapour, but what you are seeing is the liquid and solid parts.  Some people believe that when they're seeing clouds, they're seeing water vapour.  They are wrong.  Don't feel bad about sharing this belief, I've known an atmospheric (!!) scientist at a national research institute have the same misconception.  Whether the humid air between the droplets or particles is part of the cloud is a matter of definition, but <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/2014JD022494" rel="nofollow noreferrer">ice particles may contain air bubbles</a> so I think it would be unreasonable to say there is no water vapour in a cloud.</p>

<p>One way to tell this by yourself is experiencing fog.  <a href="http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Fog" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Fog</a> is nothing else than a cloud that is connected to the ground.  If you walk through fog (preferably dense fog) and look carefully, you will notice it consists of many tiny water droplets (or <a href="http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Ice_fog" rel="nofollow noreferrer">ice particles</a>, but then it should be <em>very</em> cold, as small cloud particles will not freeze immediately at -5°C or -10°C).</p>

<p>Tall clouds such as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumulonimbus_cloud" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Cumulonimbus</a> usually consist of liquid droplets near the bottom, ice particles in the <a href="http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Incus" rel="nofollow noreferrer">anvil or incus</a> (the top part that may spread out horizontally), and mixed in-between.  Mixed phase clouds are pretty difficult to model or even measure accurately, as the exact proportion between liquid and solid depends on many (unknown) factors.</p>

<p>See also <a href="http://www.cas.manchester.ac.uk/resactivities/cloudphysics/background/ice/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Ice and Mixed Phase Clouds</a> at the Centre for Atmospheric Science, University of Manchester (UK).</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-04T13:01:54.897Z
2020-02-04T13:13:26.560Z
2020-02-04T13:13:26.560Z
gerrit
<p>You are mistaken in thinking clouds can only be in one of three states. Cumulus and cumulo-nimbus are mostly made of fine water droplets, but also contain water vapour. Cumulo-nimbus (thundercloud) can also contain ice and ice crystals in its upper layers, and produce hail. Cirrostratus is composed of fine ice crystals at high altitude, as is cirrus.</p>

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2020-02-04T14:10:54.040Z
To be fair to Mr Walsby, if anybody else had written this answer it might not have got many upvotes, but it probably wouldn't have downvotes either.
Semidiurnal Simon
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-04T15:02:46.233Z
(1) Please take discussion about the need for references to [Meta] (comments here deleted), and (2) please vote on an answer based on its merits regardless of who wrote it.  This answer could be improved, but does it really deserve to be +0/-4?
gerrit
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-01T15:14:31.693Z
2020-02-01T16:28:29.653Z
2020-02-01T16:28:29.653Z
Michael Walsby
<p>The state of the clouds and it can only be one of the three states, solid, liquid, or gas. Which one are clouds?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-03T06:04:01.857Z
Hi @paulaDawid, *welcome to Stack Exchange!* The "three states of matter" is a helpful concept but it's not really an absolute law, and it certainly doesn't apply to mixtures, aerosols or "all stuff" in general. It looks like your question was closed, asking for additional clarity. If you can edit it and make it more answerable, for example "how much of a cloud's water is gas and how much is liquid" that might be better. You can ask as many questions as you like, but each one needs to be answerable. Thanks!
uhoh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-03T12:21:44.070Z
Voting to reopen. This question is based on a very basic misconception. We don't (or shouldn't) close questions for a lack of understanding. The question here is clear, but is based on a wrongheaded concept. Our job is to clear up that misunderstanding.
David Hammen
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-03T12:40:22.243Z
In my opinion, the stated close reason is incorrect, and it definitely was not welcoming to a new user. But on closer inspection, this question should have been closed as a duplicate of [Are clouds a gas, liquid, and/or solid?](https://earthscience.stackexchange.com/questions/5380/are-clouds-a-gas-liquid-and-or-solid?rq=1) The top answer to that question nicely ends with "A cloud is a mixture of gas, liquid and solids."
David Hammen
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-04T00:37:38.757Z
I agree! Let's re-open so that the question can be answered.
uhoh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-04T10:42:57.360Z
Clouds can be regarded as being [colloids](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colloid): *a mixture in which one substance of microscopically dispersed insoluble or soluble particles is suspended throughout another substance*.
Fred
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-04T10:46:12.613Z
the question states that a cloud can only be in one state so it is not open for debate(even if this is clearly wrong)so i vote for keeping this closed.
trond hansen
<clouds>
In which state of matter exactly are the clouds?
paula Dawid
# In which state of matter exactly are the clouds?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-02-01)

The state of the clouds and it can only be one of the three states, solid, liquid, or gas. Which one are clouds?

**Tags:** clouds

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Hi @username_0, *welcome to Stack Exchange!* The "three states of matter" is a helpful concept but it's not really an absolute law, and it certainly doesn't apply to mixtures, aerosols or "all stuff" in general. It looks like your question was closed, asking for additional clarity. If you can edit it and make it more answerable, for example "how much of a cloud's water is gas and how much is liquid" that might be better. You can ask as many questions as you like, but each one needs to be answerable. Thanks!  
> **username_2**: Voting to reopen. This question is based on a very basic misconception. We don't (or shouldn't) close questions for a lack of understanding. The question here is clear, but is based on a wrongheaded concept. Our job is to clear up that misunderstanding.  
> **username_2**: In my opinion, the stated close reason is incorrect, and it definitely was not welcoming to a new user. But on closer inspection, this question should have been closed as a duplicate of [Are clouds a gas, liquid, and/or solid?](https://earthscience.stackexchange.com/questions/5380/are-clouds-a-gas-liquid-and-or-solid?rq=1) The top answer to that question nicely ends with "A cloud is a mixture of gas, liquid and solids."  
> **username_1**: I agree! Let's re-open so that the question can be answered.  
> **username_3**: Clouds can be regarded as being [colloids](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colloid): *a mixture in which one substance of microscopically dispersed insoluble or soluble particles is suspended throughout another substance*.  
> **username_4**: the question states that a cloud can only be in one state so it is not open for debate(even if this is clearly wrong)so i vote for keeping this closed.  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2020-02-04. Score: 5

[Clouds](http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Cloud) consist of suspended (floating) liquid water droplets ("liquid clouds"), frozen (solid) ice particles ("ice clouds"), or a mixture of both ("mixed phase clouds"). In-between those droplets or ice particles (meteorologists use the phrase [*hydrometeor*](http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Hydrometeor) to encompass both) is air which will contain water vapour, but what you are seeing is the liquid and solid parts. Some people believe that when they're seeing clouds, they're seeing water vapour. They are wrong. Don't feel bad about sharing this belief, I've known an atmospheric (!!) scientist at a national research institute have the same misconception. Whether the humid air between the droplets or particles is part of the cloud is a matter of definition, but [ice particles may contain air bubbles](https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/2014JD022494) so I think it would be unreasonable to say there is no water vapour in a cloud.

One way to tell this by yourself is experiencing fog. [Fog](http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Fog) is nothing else than a cloud that is connected to the ground. If you walk through fog (preferably dense fog) and look carefully, you will notice it consists of many tiny water droplets (or [ice particles](http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Ice_fog), but then it should be *very* cold, as small cloud particles will not freeze immediately at -5°C or -10°C).

Tall clouds such as [Cumulonimbus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumulonimbus_cloud) usually consist of liquid droplets near the bottom, ice particles in the [anvil or incus](http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Incus) (the top part that may spread out horizontally), and mixed in-between. Mixed phase clouds are pretty difficult to model or even measure accurately, as the exact proportion between liquid and solid depends on many (unknown) factors.

See also [Ice and Mixed Phase Clouds](http://www.cas.manchester.ac.uk/resactivities/cloudphysics/background/ice/) at the Centre for Atmospheric Science, University of Manchester (UK).


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### Answer by username_6 on 2020-02-01. Score: -3

You are mistaken in thinking clouds can only be in one of three states. Cumulus and cumulo-nimbus are mostly made of fine water droplets, but also contain water vapour. Cumulo-nimbus (thundercloud) can also contain ice and ice crystals in its upper layers, and produce hail. Cirrostratus is composed of fine ice crystals at high altitude, as is cirrus.

> **Comments:**
> **username_7**: To be fair to Mr username_6, if anybody else had written this answer it might not have got many upvotes, but it probably wouldn't have downvotes either.  
> **username_5**: (1) Please take discussion about the need for references to [Meta] (comments here deleted), and (2) please vote on an answer based on its merits regardless of who wrote it.  This answer could be improved, but does it really deserve to be +0/-4?  

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