Weather Station

Rainmaker

What it does

This experiment lets you make your own raindrops.

What you need

• A wide-mouthed jar with a lid
• Ice cubes
• Water

What to do

1. Pour a small amount of water into the jar so that the bottom is covered.
2. Place the lid upside-down on top of the jar.
3. Fill the lid with ice cubes.
4. After about 10 minutes, look at the bottom of the lid.

What it's all about

The water in the jar begins to evaporate. This means it turns into a gas called water vapor. When the water vapor reaches the cold lid, it condenses, or turns back to a liquid. This causes drops to form on the bottom of the lid.

Clouds are formed when water on Earth evaporates. When the water vapor reaches the cool sky it forms drops. Clouds are made up of millions of these drops. When the air cannot support the drops any longer, they fall back to Earth as rain.

Remember, be sure you have a parent, teacher, or other adult help you!

What does it take to turn clouds into a thunderstorm?
Read about it.