What Makes Raindrops Tear Shaped?

"This remarkable evolution results from a tug-of-war between two forces: the surface tension of the water and the pressure of the air pushing up against the bottom of the drop as it falls. When the drop is small, surface tension wins and pulls the drop into a spherical shape.

Why are raindrops tear shaped?

As the raindrop falls, it loses that rounded shape. ... Flattened on the bottom and with a curved dome top, raindrops are anything but the classic tear shape. The reason is due to their speed falling through the atmosphere. Air flow on the bottom of the water drop is greater than the airflow at the top.

What is the shape of a raindrop called?

High in the atmosphere, raindrops start out roughly spherical due to the surface tension of water. This surface tension is the "skin" of a body of water that binds the water molecules. As raindrops fall, they collide with other raindrops and lose their rounded shape.