This page last changed on Oct 23, 2007 by cstaudt.
Engage/Elicit:
Where do you think rain and snow come from?
![](images/icons/emoticons/forbidden.gif) | ART: Cartoon of boy and girl from story in a cloud, sprinkling water from watering cans to make rain. |
Explore:
Materials
- Two clear plastic cups per group.
- Freezer
Procedure
- Put one plastic cup in the freezer and keep one out. Note the time.
- What will happen to the glass jar while it's in the freezer?
TEXTBOX
- When warm air comes in contact with the cold cup, what do you think will happen to the air?
![](images/icons/emoticons/information.gif) |
- L5 Type your response in the text box above.
- L4 Think about how the temperature of the air changed when it comes in contact with the cold glass.
- L3 When the air comes in contact with the cold glass, the temperature of the air will ______.
- L2 Choose from the options above.
O When the warm air touches the cold glass, it will gain energy and warm up.
O When the warm air touches the cold glass, it will lose energy and cool down.
- L1 The cold glass will draw heat from the air and the air will get cooler. Explain the cooling of the air in your own words.
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- Check the time. If the plastic cup has been in the freezer for at least 5 minutes, take the cup out of the freezer. Place it next to the cup that has been at room temperature.
![](images/icons/emoticons/check.gif) | Library: plastic-condense.JPG |
Draw and describe what you see.
![](images/icons/emoticons/forbidden.gif) | Background image: Empty plastic cup & draw tool |
![](images/icons/emoticons/information.gif) |
- L5: Write your response in the box above.
- L4: Consider in what ways the cold cup looks different than the cup at room temperature?
- L3: The cold cup looks... compared to the cup at room temperature.
- L2: The
O cold
O room temperature
cup looks frostier.
- L1: The cold cups looks cloudy. Be sure to show and label the differences between the cups.
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(Hide until previous question answered)
- From our previous experiment, what can you tell me the cloudiness is made of?
![](images/icons/emoticons/information.gif) |
- L5: Write your response in the box below.
- L4: Think of why it looks "cloudy."
- L3: The cloudiness is made of .... vapor.
- L2: The cloudiness is made of (*water vapor, dust, air).
- L1: The cloudiness is made of water vapor. How do we know?
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Explain:
The water vapor in the air can turn back into liquid water when it loses heat. When a substance turns from a gas to a liquid it is called condensation. ![](images/icons/emoticons/warning.gif) | animation or model on macro level of condensation |
How does water get out of the air to form liquid droplets in clouds?
![](images/icons/emoticons/information.gif) |
- L5: Write your response in the box below.
- L4: What happens to the water vapor in the air to make it turn back into liquid water?
- L3: When the water vapor in the air loses... it turns back into liquid water to form the droplets in clouds.
- L2: When the water vapor in the air (gains energy, *loses energy, gets heavier) it turns back into liquid water to form the droplets in clouds.
- L1: When the water vapor in the air loses energy, it turns back into liquid water to form the droplets in clouds. Explain.
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The glass jar referenced in the Exploration should not have liquid in it, because if it does it may freeze and shatter the jar.
![](images/icons/comment_16.gif)
Posted by azucker at Aug 07, 2007 14:32
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The other reason the jar should not have water is that kids may think the water in the jar is the source of the condensate.
Note: this jar could be put in a frig, not a freezer, I think. I'll try it.
![](images/icons/comment_16.gif)
Posted by ehazzard at Aug 09, 2007 11:04
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