Clouds and Kids
Experiment | Meet the Class | Transcript | Listen in RealAudio

Clouds and Teachers
Experiment | Meet the Class | Transcript | Listen in RealAudio

Experiment

Mrs. Martin's 5th grade class - Broken Ground School, Concord, NH.

What you will need:

1 two liter soda bottle
1 match
1 spray bottle
water

What to do:

Spray some water into the soda bottle so that there is a coating on the inside. Light match, blow it out, and throw it into the bottle. Seal the bottle and press firmly down on the bottle for about a minute and then let go. When a cloud forms open bottle and squeeze.

How it works:

The smoke from the match acts as a condensation nucleus. This means that the water inside the bottle will be able to cling to the particles to help form the cloud. By squeezing the bottle you compress the molecules on the inside and in turn heat up the inside temperature. By letting go of the bottle the temperature is allowed to go down and the water molecules appear as water vapor and a cloud forms.

Lighting the match!	Applying pressure.
Waiting for the cloud to form.	Opening the bottle
Squeezing the bottle. Do you see the cloud?	An attentive class.

 

Mount Washington Observatory	National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration	Subaru of America	National Science Foundation