THIS MORNING I HAVE A FUN
EXPERIMENT THAT
EXPLAING HOW RAIN CLOUDS FORM.
IT ALSO
DEMONSTRATES WHY SOMETIMES WE
SEE RAIN,
CLOUDS FORM. IT ALSO
DEMONSTRATES WHY SOMETIMES WE
SEE RAIN, AND OTHER TIMES WE
JUST END UP WITH REALLY BIG
CLOUDS. WHAT YOU NEED:
CLEAR CONTAINER
ROOM TEMPERATURE WATER SHAVING
CREAM
FOOD COLORING
STEPS:
FILL CLEAR JAR ABOUT 3/4 THE WAY
WITH WATER ADD A LAYER OF
SHAVING CREAM ON TOP OF THE
WATER
ADD A FEW DROPS OF FOOD
COLORING, THEN
WATCH
ADD MORE DROPS OF FOOD COLORING,
ADD A FEW DROPS OF FOOD
COLORING, THEN WATCH
ADD MORE DROPS OF FOOD COLORING,
THEN WATCH RESULTS
THE SCIENECE AND HOW YOU SEE
THIS EVERYDAY:
THE ATMOSPHERE ACTS LIKE A
FLUID, SO WE CAN USE WATER TO
REPRESENT THAT, AND THE SHAVING
CREAM TO ACT LIKE THE CLOUD.
WHEN THE SHAVING CREAM IS
SPRAYED IN, IT WILL START TO
FLATTEN WHERE THE WATER IS.
THIS CREATES A CLOUD BASE. THE
FOOD COLORING REPRESENTS
INCREASED MOISTURE OR MORE RAIN
DROPS BUILDING UP IN THE CLOUD.
EVENTUALLY, THERE'S TOO MUCH IN
THE CLOUD. THE WATER DROPLETS
GET TOO HEAVY AND FALL
TO THE GROUND AS PRECIPITATION.
THIS IS WHERE THE TEMPERATURE IN
THE
ATMOSPHERE BECOMES IMPORTANT. IF
THE TEMPERATURE IS ABOVE 32
DEGREES, THIS PRECIPITATION IS
RAIN. IF IT IS BELOW FREEZING
FROM CLOUD TO GROUND, WE GET
SNOW. HOWEVER,
IF THERE IF THE LAYERS IN THE
ATMOSPHERE HAVE
DIFFERENT TEMPERATURES WE COULD
GET SOMETHING ELSE LIKE SLEET.
SLEET, FOR EXAMPLE IS FORMED
WHEN THE PRECIP FALL FROM THE
CLOUDS, HITS A WARMER LAYER IN
THE ATMOSPHERE THAT IS ABOVE
FREEZING AND TURNS IT INTO RAIN.
THEN, AS IT MOVES CLOSER TO THE
GROUND, IT INTERACTS WITH AIR
THAT IS BELOW FREEZING AND TURNS
IT INTO ICE. FOR MORE ON
EXPERIEMENTS JUST LIKE THIS ONE,
HEAD TO NBC4I.COM AND SEARCH
"SCIENCE FROM HOME."
