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Contrails are the white, cloudlike trails left behind jets flying in the sky. They form when water vapor, a byproduct of the combustion taking place in the jet engines, condenses into water droplets (or ice crystals, if the temperature is low enough) after it has cooled down from the colder temperature high in the sky. This is similar to how clouds form.

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What are jet contrails?

Jet contrails are water condensation resulting from the rapid compression and decompression of the air around the wing as the airplane moves through the atmosphere. The atmospheric conditions have to be just right for contrails to occur, and that is why you sometimes see contrails seem to wink off and on, as the airplane passes through drier air the contrails will stop.


What can you infer about the height at which jet airplanes fly based on the fact that their con trails form cirrus clouds?

Airplane's contrails do not form clouds; they dissipate soon after they are formed.


What can you infer about the height jet airplanes fly based on the fact that their contrails form cirrus clouds?

The fact that jet airplanes' contrails form cirrus clouds suggests that they fly at altitudes where the temperature and humidity are conducive to contrail formation, typically above 20,000 feet. This indicates that jet airplanes generally fly at high altitudes, where the air is colder and less dense, allowing contrails to persist and spread out into cirrus clouds.


What kind of jets make the line in the sky?

Those lines are created by aircraft flying at high altitudes releasing water vapor in the form of contrails, which are frozen water droplets condensing around particles in the exhaust. These contrails are most commonly seen behind jet engines on airplanes.


What is it that causes contrails?

Contrails are long, artificial clouds that are man-made, sometimes trailing an aircraft. They are made most commonly by the water vapor in the exhaust of the engines of aircrafts. However, they can also be made from changes in the air pressure.

Related Questions

Do airplane contrails affect the weather?

No it is the weather that facilitates the production of contrails.


What does the cloud name contrails mean?

Contrails is a shortening of condensation trails.


What are jet contrails?

Jet contrails are water condensation resulting from the rapid compression and decompression of the air around the wing as the airplane moves through the atmosphere. The atmospheric conditions have to be just right for contrails to occur, and that is why you sometimes see contrails seem to wink off and on, as the airplane passes through drier air the contrails will stop.


What are contrails?

contrails are "clouds" formed by the hot, humid air from plane/jet engines which mixes with water vapor high in the sky, then turning into ice crystals which then create contrails.


What is the mission of the airplanes that leave contrails?

To be an airplane with jet engines? All jet airplanes leave contrails.


What are the streams that jet planes leave in the sky?

The streams that jet planes leave in the sky are called contrails. Contrails form when the hot, moist exhaust from the airplane engines mixes with the cold air at high altitudes, causing the water vapor to condense into ice crystals. Contrails can sometimes linger in the sky for a while, creating long white streaks behind the plane.


What can you infer about the height at which jet airplanes fly based on the fact that their con trails form cirrus clouds?

Airplane's contrails do not form clouds; they dissipate soon after they are formed.


What can you infer about the height jet airplanes fly based on the fact that their contrails form cirrus clouds?

The fact that jet airplanes' contrails form cirrus clouds suggests that they fly at altitudes where the temperature and humidity are conducive to contrail formation, typically above 20,000 feet. This indicates that jet airplanes generally fly at high altitudes, where the air is colder and less dense, allowing contrails to persist and spread out into cirrus clouds.


What types of planes leave contrails?

Any kind of powered airplane can leave contrails under the proper condition. Rocket planes always leave contrails. Jets usually leave contrails but may not if the atmospheric conditions are not right. Even internal combustion engine planes can leave contrails if they operate at very high altitude and the atmospheric conditions are just right. For more information, check out this link. http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/wxwise/class/contrail.html


What is airplane smoke trail called?

Contrails


What are jet contrails made of?

water vapor


Are contrails similar to cumulonimbus clouds?

No. Contrails are long, narrow, thin clouds left by aircraft at high altitude. Cumulonimbus clouds are enormous, thick, towering storm clouds.