How do large clouds stay in the air if they can weigh tonnes?

[C C]

http://www.sciencefocus.com/article/plan...igh-tonnes

EXCERPT: Stop to think about the massive clouds we see floating in the sky most days and it seems about as counterintuitive as a lead balloon....

~

[Magical Realist]

I've never understood how mass decreases inversely to the distance of the particles. It makes sense, or else like with this a cloud would collapse and fall on the ground. But does the overall mass of cloud increase when the particles get closer to each other? How?

[Syne]

Ratio of thermal lift to particle density per given area.

[stryder]

"Eureka! Eureka!" -Archimedes

One of the many forms of displacement. Here's another point: If clouds were not possible man, could wouldn't be able to fly (without inventing some other means).

Displacement is also used in propulsion systems (rockets/jets), which is why the many alternative designs in space engineering since without an atmosphere to push or squeeze through other forms of transversal are required otherwise propulsion costs resources that are finite and depleting.