Are clouds and fog essentially the same?

According to the Baidu Experience Network, the difference between clouds and fog is as follows:

First, the material form is different:

1. Cloud: Cloud is a visible polymer floating in the air, which is formed by condensation of small water droplets or small ice crystals in the atmosphere when it is cold.

2. Fog: Fog is a weather phenomenon consisting of tiny water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air near the ground, and it is the product of water vapor condensation (or condensation) in the air near the ground. It is a liquid.

Second, the formation conditions are different:

1. Cloud: The sun shines on the earth's surface, and water evaporates to form water vapor. Once the water vapor is supersaturated, water molecules will gather around the dust (condensation nucleus) in the air, and the generated water droplets or ice crystals will scatter sunlight in all directions, which creates the appearance of clouds.

2. Fog: When the relative humidity reaches 100%, the water vapor in the air will condense into tiny water droplets suspended in the air, which will reduce the ground visibility. This weather phenomenon is called fog.

Third, the impact is different:

1. Cloud: Clouds absorb heat from the ground and reflect it back to the ground, which helps to keep the earth warm. However, clouds also reflect sunlight directly back into space, which has a cooling effect. Which effect is dominant depends on the shape and location of the cloud.

2. Fog: Fog is one of the most influential weather for human traffic activities. Poor visibility in foggy days can easily lead to traffic accidents. Among the traffic accidents in expressway, traffic accidents caused by bad weather such as dense fog account for about a quarter of the total, which not only hinders traffic, but also causes great losses to the country and people's lives and property.