Name:

Date:

CreateYourOwnWaterCycle

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Youwillneed:
alargemetalorplasticbowl
apitcherorbucket
asheetofclearplasticwrap
adryceramicmug(likeacoffeemug)
alongpieceofstringorlargerubberband
water

Instructions:
Putthebowlinasunnyplaceoutside.
Usingthepitcherorbucket,pourwaterintothebowluntilitisaboutfull.
Placethemuginthecenterofthebowl.Becarefulnottosplashanywaterintoit.
Coverthetopofthebowltightlywiththeplasticwrap.
Tiethestringaroundthebowltoholdtheplasticwrapinplace.
Watchthebowltoseewhathappens.
Explanation:
The"mist"thatformsontheplasticwrapwillchangeintolargerdropsofwater
thatwillbegintodrip.(Youcanspeedupthedrippingbycarefullymovingthe
bowldon'tsplash!intotheshade.)Whenthishappens,continuewatchingfora
fewminutes,thencarefullypeelbacktheplastic.Isthecoffeemugstillempty?
Waterfromthe"ocean"ofwaterinthebowlevaporated.Itcondensedtoform
misty"clouds"ontheplasticwrap.Whenthecloudsbecamesaturatedit"rained"
intothemug!

Date:

Name:

CreateACloudinaBottle
PrelabQuestions:
1.Whichwillprobablyhavemorehumidity(watervapor)intheairaboveit?Circleone.
A)apartoftheoceanhavingcoldersurfacewaters
B)apartoftheoceanhavingwarmersurfacewaters
2.Asairiscompressed(squeezed),willitbecomewarmer,orwillitbecomecooler?(Answer
thiswithahypothesisstatement.)

3.Asairisallowedtoexpand,whathappenstoitstemperature?(Answerinacomplete
sentence.)

Materials:2liter(untinted)plasticpopbottlewithlid,bookofmatches,250mlbeaker(or
larger),hotwater,icewater

Procedures/Observations:
1.Trial#1:Pour200mlofcoldwaterintotheplasticbottle,andthenfirmlyscrewonthelid.
Shakethebottlefor30seconds.Squeezethebottleforseveralsecondstoincreasethepressure,
andthenreleaseittoallowtheairinsidetoexpand.Squeezeandreleaseseveraltimesasyou
watchtheairinthebottle.Whathappens?
Observations:

2.Trial#2:Unscrewthecapfromthebottle.Lightamatch,blowitout,andthenholdthe
smokingmatchinsidethetiltedbottleforabout3seconds.Quicklyreplacethecap.Squeezeand
releaseasyoudidinprocedure#1.
Observations:

3.Trial#3:Emptythecoldwaterfromthebottle,andpour200mlofhotwaterintoit.Replace
thecap,andshakethebottlefor30seconds.Squeeze,release,andobserve.
Observations:

4.Trial#4:Unscrewthecap,andholdamatchintothebottleasyoudidinprocedure#2.
Quicklyreplacethecap,andthensqueeze,release,andobserve.
Observations:

FollowUpQuestions:
1.Whichofyourfourtrialsresultedinthebestcloudformation?
2.Wascloudformationmoreimpressivewhensmokeparticleswerepresentinthebottle?
3.Didthecloudappearwhenyoucausedhighpressureontheairinthebottle(bysqueezing),or
whenyoucausedlowpressure(byreleasing)?
4.Whichprovidedmorevaporinthebottle...thehotwater,orthecoldwater?
5.Basedonyourfindings,writeoutarecipeforcloudformation?(3ingredientsorconditions)
1)
2)
3)

6.Youcanseecloudsbecausetheyaremadeupof???or???.Circletwoanswers.
watervapor......waterdroplets......icecrystals

7.Asairrisesintheatmosphere,isitcompressed,ordoesitexpand?

8.Whateffectdoesthishaveonthetemperatureoftheair?

ANSWERSTOTHEPRELABQUESTIONS:Dothesetogether,orgivethestudentsafew
minutestodothem,andthengooverthembeforedoingthelab.
1.A)warmeroceanwaterwouldhavemorevaporintheairaboveit
2.warmer
3.itcools

BEFORETHEYBEGINTHELAB:
1.Demonstratethetechniqueusedtogetsmokeintothebottle.ReadoverTrial#1and#2...
Tiltthebottleasmuchasyoucanwithoutspillingthewater.Blowthematchout,andholditin
theopeningofthebottleforabout3seconds.Thekeytomakingagoodcloudisgettinglotsof
smokeintothebottle.
2.Also,tellthestudentstoholdthebottlebetweentheirfaceandalightsourceforbestviewing
astheybeginsqueezingandreleasing.
3.Ontrials3and4,ifstudentshaveaproblemwithcondensationmakingitdifficulttoseeinside
thebottle,theycansimplyrollthebottlegently,allowingthewaterinsidetorinsethe
condensationaway.

EXPECTEDRESULTS:
Trial#1:acloudshouldnotformhere
Trail#2:averyfaintcloudmayformhere
Trial#3:afaintcloudmayformhere
Trial#4:studentsshouldseeafairlygoodcloudhere

ANSWERSTOFOLLOWUPQUESTIONS
1.trial#4
2.yes
3.lowpressure(byreleasing)
4.hotwater
5.vapor+smoke+cooling(pressuredecrease)=cloud
6.waterdroplets,icecrystals
7.expands
8.coolsit