Cloud in a bottle

Friday, January 9, 2009
With a few ingredients from around the house you can create your own cloud in a bottle.

Materials

* Clear 2-liter plastic bottle with cap

* Matches

* Warm water

Instructions

STEP 1: Pour about an inch of warm water into the bottom of the plastic bottle.

STEP 2: Light the match, blow it out, place the match into the plastic bottle and quickly screw the cap onto the plastic bottle.

STEP 3: Squeeze the sides of the bottle eight to 10 times. At the 10th squeeze hold the plastic bottle for a few seconds and then let go to see the cloud in the bottle.

Explanation

When you released the bottle the air expanded on the inside and the temperature cooled. As this occurred the water condensed on the smoke particles from the match to form a cloud in the bottle.

Jason Lindsey is a Science Outreach Educator with Hooked on Science. Check out his website Hooked On Science at hookedonscience.org for webcasts and experiments that might get you hooked on science. Send him your science questions at jlindsey@hookedonscience.org. More science experiments can be found at www.semissourian.com.