Spring is full of rain showers and misty mornings. Learn how water vapor turns into a cloud by making your own!
Form your cloud in a jar, and then gather friends and family around as you release it. Seeing the misty wisps float by will bring the water cycle to life right before your eyes. Watch the video above for the full procedure.
Here are the materials you will need:
A jar with a lid or covering
Warm water
Ice
Dark paper for a background
A towel
Matches (Do not use matches without the help of a responsible adult.)
Hairspray
Have you ever cloud spotted before? Laying up and looking at the clouds can be a peaceful activity. Use your creativity, and you can start spotting different shapes or animals in the sky. But how are those clouds formed?
Clouds are made from water. Heat is needed to evaporate the water, turning it into water vapor. As the water vapor rises into the atmosphere, it cools and changes from a gas to a liquid. This process is called condensation. Next it looks for microscopic particles to hold on to, which forms a cloud. The particles clouds form around can be dust, dirt or ash. In the case of our experiment, it will be the smoke from the match or hairspray!
There are two ways to make this creation, using either a match or hairspray. Both require warm water in the jar to start. If you are using a match, make sure to have a responsible adult do that part. It works better with two people to trap the cloud in the jar. The adult can light the match and drop it in the jar or spray the hairspray while you quickly close the lid after.
Experiment with your cloud creation. What happens if you add food coloring to your water? Does it make a colorful cloud? Try using cold water instead of warm water. Does it work? What happens if you use a small jar versus a large jar? Change one factor at a time and record your results to find out what combination makes the perfect cloud.
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