{"id":91664,"date":"2025-06-01T11:02:12","date_gmt":"2025-06-01T11:02:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com\/mcq\/?p=91664"},"modified":"2025-06-01T11:02:12","modified_gmt":"2025-06-01T11:02:12","slug":"why-are-dewdrops-not-formed-on-a-cloudy-night","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com\/mcq\/why-are-dewdrops-not-formed-on-a-cloudy-night\/","title":{"rendered":"Why are dewdrops not formed on a cloudy night?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Why are dewdrops not formed on a cloudy night?<\/p>\n

[amp_mcq option1=”Clouds absorb the radiation released from the Earth’s surface.” option2=”Clouds reflect back the Earth’s radiation.” option3=”The Earth’s surface would have low temperature on cloudy nights.” option4=”Clouds deflect the blowing wind to ground level.” correct=”option1″]<\/p>\n

\n
\n
This question was previously asked in<\/div>\n
UPSC IAS – 2019<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Download PDF<\/a>Attempt Online<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\nThe correct answer is A) Clouds absorb the radiation released from the Earth’s surface.
\n<\/section>\n
\nDew forms when the temperature of a surface drops below the dew point of the surrounding air, causing water vapor to condense. On a clear night, the Earth’s surface radiates thermal energy (long-wave radiation) into space. This outgoing radiation leads to significant cooling of the ground surface.
\nOn a cloudy night, clouds act as a thermal blanket. They efficiently absorb the outgoing long-wave radiation emitted by the Earth’s surface. The absorbed energy warms the clouds, and they re-emit radiation in all directions, including back down towards the Earth’s surface. This downward radiation reduces the net loss of heat from the surface.
\n<\/section>\n
\nBecause the clouds reduce the net radiative cooling, the Earth’s surface and the air near it do not cool down as much on a cloudy night compared to a clear night. If the temperature does not drop sufficiently to reach the dew point, dew will not form. Option A accurately describes the key process (absorption of radiation) that prevents significant surface cooling. While clouds also re-emit radiation back (related to Option B), the initial absorption is the mechanism by which they trap the outgoing heat. Option C is incorrect because cloudy nights are typically warmer than clear nights due to the blanketing effect. Option D is irrelevant to dew formation by radiation.
\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Why are dewdrops not formed on a cloudy night? [amp_mcq option1=”Clouds absorb the radiation released from the Earth’s surface.” option2=”Clouds reflect back the Earth’s radiation.” option3=”The Earth’s surface would have low temperature on cloudy nights.” option4=”Clouds deflect the blowing wind to ground level.” correct=”option1″] This question was previously asked in UPSC IAS – 2019 Download … <\/p>\n

Detailed SolutionWhy are dewdrops not formed on a cloudy night?<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1092],"tags":[1119,1218,1106],"class_list":["post-91664","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-upsc-ias","tag-1119","tag-clouds","tag-world-and-physical-geography","no-featured-image-padding"],"yoast_head":"\nWhy are dewdrops not formed on a cloudy night?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The correct answer is A) Clouds absorb the radiation released from the Earth's surface. Dew forms when the temperature of a surface drops below the dew point of the surrounding air, causing water vapor to condense. On a clear night, the Earth's surface radiates thermal energy (long-wave radiation) into space. This outgoing radiation leads to significant cooling of the ground surface. On a cloudy night, clouds act as a thermal blanket. They efficiently absorb the outgoing long-wave radiation emitted by the Earth's surface. The absorbed energy warms the clouds, and they re-emit radiation in all directions, including back down towards the Earth's surface. This downward radiation reduces the net loss of heat from the surface.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com\/mcq\/why-are-dewdrops-not-formed-on-a-cloudy-night\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why are dewdrops not formed on a cloudy night?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The correct answer is A) Clouds absorb the radiation released from the Earth's surface. Dew forms when the temperature of a surface drops below the dew point of the surrounding air, causing water vapor to condense. On a clear night, the Earth's surface radiates thermal energy (long-wave radiation) into space. This outgoing radiation leads to significant cooling of the ground surface. On a cloudy night, clouds act as a thermal blanket. They efficiently absorb the outgoing long-wave radiation emitted by the Earth's surface. The absorbed energy warms the clouds, and they re-emit radiation in all directions, including back down towards the Earth's surface. 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