eli5: How do (presumably very heavy) clouds stay suspended in the sky? More specifically how are they floating AND flat on the bottom?

Question

And what causes them to suddenly drop all of that water in the form of rain.

Judging by the amount of rain they must weigh a ton.

In: 337

Answer 1

They are very heavy but they’re relatively light compared to their enormous size. They’re comprised of water vapor which isn’t very dense. Rain forms through various factors but on a basic level droplets form when there’s particles for nucleation, that is solid particles like dust or dirt on which the water can condense back into a liquid.