Which of the following sky cover terms represents a ceiling?

The term that represents a ceiling in the context of meteorological observations is "broken." A ceiling is defined as the height above the ground of the lowest layer of clouds that covers more than half of the sky. In aviation weather reports, this is critical for flight operations as it affects visibility and flight safety.

"Broken" specifically refers to cloud cover that is more than 5/8 but less than 7/8 of the sky covered by clouds, indicating that there is a significant amount of cloud cover at a certain altitude, which creates a ceiling. This cloud cover can influence pilot decisions regarding approaches and landings, making it an essential concept in air traffic control.

In contrast, the terms "scattered," "clear," and "few" refer to different levels of cloud coverage that do not indicate a ceiling. "Scattered" clouds cover less than 5/8 of the sky, "few" clouds indicate a very small amount of cloud cover (typically less than 1/8), and "clear" means there are no clouds present at all, none of which meet the criteria for defining a ceiling.