We did a lab in science class, and now I have a better understanding of how clouds forn. In this lab, a ringstan about two feet high supported a tin can full of ice cubes. Under the tin can was a teapot full of water. My group turned on the teapot and watched as the steam, or water vapor, was produced from the pot. The steam rose and condensed onto the tinpan since it was a cool surface. After a few minutes, the tin pan started raining! I gained a lot of knowledge from this activity, but here are the top three interesting facts. Firstly, clouds need to attach to something in the air, such as dust particles, in order to stay aloft. In this lab, the tin can represented the dust particles since that is where the water droplets condensed. Secondly, in order for a cloud to produce rain, the water droplets need to be large enough in order for them to fall out of the cloud. I watched as a bunch of tiny condensed cloud droplets gathered, and formed a large raindrop. Thirdly, the process of the teapot producing water vapor is called evaporation. This is how the steam rose to the tin can in the first place. I further researched this topic, and discovered two more intriguing pieced of information. Cloud droplets are approximately one thousand times smaller than a raindrop, having a diameter of about ten thousandths of an inch. Secondly, the largest cloud is six mile high in the sky and can hold up to 500,000 tons of water! This cloud is known as the cumulnimbus cloud. In conclusion, I enjoyed this lab and I have a better understanding of how clouds form. I think it is important to know about weather because you experience it every day. The next time it rains, I'll know that the cloud droplets gathered and the cloud can no longer sustain the water, therefore it will rain. I'm excited to share my knowledge with other people.
Picture- www.enchantedlearning.com/cgifs/clouds.GIF
Having done the same experiment, I never concieved that the pie pan could represent dust.
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