Materials Required:
l Saucepan
l Water
l Frying pan
l Ice cubes
The help of one of your parents
Procedure:
- Fill a saucepan about ¼ full with water, and ask one of your parents to boil it over high heat.
- Fill a frying pan with ice cubes, then give it to your parent to hold several inches above the steam escaping from the saucepan. Remind your parent to hold the frying pan by its handle so his or her hands do not come in contact with the steam—steam is extremely hot and can burn! In a few minutes, you will see raindrops fall from the bottom of the frying pan into the boiling water.
This Is What Happens:
You have just produced rain the same way that nature makes it. The boiling water caused water vapour (steam) to rise from the saucepan. As the steam hit the cold surface of the frying pan, it collected as moisture on the underside. Soon, the moisture became too heavy and fell as drops of water. In nature, a similar cycle takes place. Oceans, lakes, and streams lose water through evaporation. The water vapour rises into the sky. Here, it is colder, so the water collects into clouds. When the clouds become too heavy with water, drops of rain fall to the earth.
