Making clouds is a good activity for you to understand the processes that happen during cloud formation. Here are some easy steps you can follow to make clouds.
Things You’ll Need:
cloud in a bottle
A clear plastic juice bottle with cap.
Pump attachment
Fireplace matches
Pump
Glue gun and glue sticks
Water
Steps:
Make a hole on the cap big enough for the pump attachment to go through.
Secure the pump attachment by putting hot glue around it on the bottom of the cap. Make sure that it is air tight.
While waiting for the glue to dry up, pour water inside the bottle and swirl it around so all areas of the bottle gets wet.
cloud in a bottle
Discard the water from the bottle.
The next thing to do is to seed the clouds. Light the fireplace match. Let it burn for a few seconds.
Blow out the fire.
Drop the matchstick inside the bottle.
Cover the bottle with the cap.
Attach your pump with the pump attachment.
Fill the bottle with air. Avoid using a mechanical pump because it can blow out the bottle.
Pumping air will increase the air pressure and temperature inside the bottle. As the temperature increases, water is absorbed in the air and evaporates.
You’ll notice that the plastic bottle will bulge a little as it get filled up with air.
Detach the pump. Quickly uncover the bottle. This will release the pressure from the bottle very fast. Tilt your bottle to the side.
cloud in a bottle
You’ll notice cloud coming out of your plastic bottle.
Tips:
If you don’t have an air pump, you can just squeeze the bottle to increase the pressure. Be careful when doing this. You don’t want to squeeze it too hard.
If making a cloud without an air pump, you can skip the first 2 steps of the procedure. Make sure that the cap is air tight.
As this activity requires lighting a matchstick, make sure that you’re under adult supervision when doing the project to avoid accidents.
Another way of making clouds is by placing a metal tray filled with ice over the opening of a jar when the smoke clears up. You’ll see clouds forming just below the metal tray.
Facts:
clouds
Clouds form when condensation happens and water vapor turns to liquid.
Another process that forms clouds is convection. Convection is a process where heat rises to the atmosphere. When warm air rises, it starts to cool. Clouds form when this vapor is cooled to a certain temperature.
When doing this activity, take note of the processes in cloud formation that happens inside the bottle. This would help you understand what happens on the different phases. You can try doing this activity using a bigger bottle to form more clouds. If you enjoy reading this article, you’ll surely be interested in learning how to make a science project.