How to do Cloud Formation experiment in the bottle (Kids + Home)

Cloud formation:

                        Generally kids use to ask this question to the parents, elders, and teachers. How cloud formation takes place in nature? Have you ever asked this question to yourself? If you search on the internet, you will get a lot of information regarding cloud formation. The best answer you will get from the internet is the combination of dust and water vapor. So, How the combination of dust and water vapor gives the cloud? Is it possible to do this experiment in our home? yes, we can, by using the simple things available in our home. Before moving further, we discuss little more questions and answers sessions about the atmosphere and the cloud.

Photo by Zbynek Burival on Unsplash

1. What is the atmosphere?

               The atmosphere is nothing but the encapsulation or wrapping of air and difference size of micro dust particles. There are different segments in the atmosphere, which creates the atmospheric structure. These atmospheric structures are classified as follows.,

• Troposphere
• Stratosphere
• Mesosphere
• Thermosphere

2. Why cloud formation takes place in the atmosphere?

        In the atmosphere structure, the troposphere is the first sphere that comes from the earth's surface. So, it is extended up to 11 kilometers from the earth, but the upper limits vary by a few kilometers which highly depends on the temperature, weather conditions, terrestrial nature, and some other factors. So, it accounts for more than 70% of the atmospheric mass in nature.

                 This is the main region for cloud formation, depend on weather conditions, the cloud moves from one place to another place. This process takes place in the entire globe. The cloud formation mainly depends on the atmospheric structure. But cloud forms in the very excellent way. It is the condensation of water vapor in the presence of atmospheric dust particles.

3. How cloud forms in the atmosphere?

                    As we discussed in the above-said question, the troposphere is the place where cloud forms. It is a combination of dust and moist air. Cloud forms in the atmosphere, when water from the reservoirs evaporates due to the heat of the sun. Then, these water vapors enter into the atmospheric structure, further, it combines with the dust particles. This is called condensation of water vapor. The final outcome of this process is the formation of a cloud.

Now we will see what are the materials required for this experiment to do at home.

Materials require for the experiment:

1. 500 ml plastic bottle with closed lid      --------  1 no

2. chilled water                                            --------  250 ml

3. piece of paper                                        --------  1 piece

4. lighter                                                       --------  1 no

Standard Operating Protocol:(cloud formation)

Step 1: Take a clean plastic bottle and pour 250 ml of chilled water. Then close the lid.

Step 2: Take a piece of paper and ignite with the help of lighter. You wait until 90 % of the paper is fully burned.

Step 3: Open the lid of the bottle, then you put this burned piece of paper into the bottle.

Step 4: Then close the lid, shake the bottle 8-10 times.

Step 5: You can see dusty air cloud formation at the top of the bottle.

Step 6: You can observe the formation of this little cloud until water is chill. Once it reaches the room temperature, you can't observe this.

 

Science project of cloud formation: Schematic illustration of cloud formation in the bottle

Observation on cloud formation:

                  What is a kid going to observe this experiment? What is the scientificreason behind this phenomenon? This is the natural process takes place in our atmosphere every day. Now, I am going to explain our experiment. you took the chilled water, the temperature may be near to 10-15 degrees celsius, now we are burning the piece of paper, it is, of course, goes to the higher temperature during the combustion of the piece of paper. It releases carbon dioxide and water vapor and residual carbon as charcoal. If you shake it vigorously this small charcoal dust from higher temperature and water from low temperature, they coupled together and formed the cloud formation. This similar thing takes place in our atmosphere every day. That's the reason how a cloud forms. 
 

Safety requirement:  

All this experiment should be carried under the supervision of parents or teachers or elders. If you are going to perform this experiment, then you read the fire safety protocol from the web. 

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