Home-made rain

raindrops-branch

In the same way that water evaporates in the pot on the cooker that you have put on the stove, water from the earth's surface and the seas and oceans evaporates and is integrated into the atmosphere. Thus, water vapor is also, on a large scale, of great importance in climate control and regulation. The first thing that comes to mind is rain.

Of course, you can't directly see what happens in the clouds, but you can make it rain in a glass of water!

All you need is a saucepan, a torch, a glass, water, ice, a metal container, and a heat source.

Heat a volume of water in the saucepan equivalent to one-fifth of the volume of a glass you usually use.
Put the hot water into the glass.
Cover the glass with the metal container and put some ice cubes on top. Turn off the light and, with the torch, focus on the glass.

What happens? Describe the changes of state that the water undergoes. Why do you see the cloud?
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The phenomenon of cloud formation on the surface of a body of water, which precedes rain, is equivalent to what you observe when, in winter, if it is very cold, you blow out your breath, and a kind of mist of vapor forms in front of your mouth. The air comes out of your lungs hot and cools rapidly in contact with the cold air in the room; it condenses.

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