April 25, 2013
Steamy Science: Demonstrating Condensation
A fun physics demonstration from Education.com
By Education.com
Key concepts Physics Liquids Gasses Pressure
Introduction Ever wonder where those little drops of water on the outside of your cold can of soda pop or bottle of water come from? That’s condensation! Cold surfaces can cause water vapor in the air to cool down, condense and form tiny beads of liquid. The molecules in these miniscule droplets of water are grouped far more closely together than when they were in their gas phase, and exert less pressure—a fact that has some pretty cool physical implications.
Perhaps you have seen the classic science demonstration where a hard-boiled egg is “sucked” into a bottle using a match. The effect is definitely cool, but understanding how it works is tough. Air molecules are spaced differently and exert different levels of pressure depending on how hot or cold they are. This is a fun experiment where the physics are more observable, the effect more dramatic and the pyrotechnics totally unnecessary.
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Background Molecules, which make up everything around us—including air—are in a constant state of motion. The hotter water molecules become, the faster they move, turning from water (their liquid phase) to steam (their gas phase). When liquid water turns to gas, not only do the molecules move much faster, they also are spaced much farther apart. They spread out so much that they generate pressure by pushing on each other and everything else they come into contact with. What happens when we take the heat source away from that steam? The molecules form liquid water again. This is called condensation.
The air in our atmosphere is also a gas that exerts a fairly strong pressure of its own. This experiment will illustrate what can happen when the changing pressure of condensing steam goes up against the pressure of air, which remains relatively constant.
Materials • One large, thick plastic bottle with a wide neck (an empty, 64-ounce fruit juice bottle will work or a three-gallon water-dispenser jug is great). Use caution with thinner plastic containers—hot water can cause them to melt; and avoid glass—boiling water can cause glass to break. • Small, empty water balloons (Keep more than one handy, in case of breakage.) • Water • Stove • Oven mitt • Pot or teakettle for boiling water (Use caution and adult help when dealing with hot water.)
Procedure • Set a kettle or pot of water to boil on the stove. • While you’re waiting for your water to boil, fill your balloon full of water using a faucet or a hose. Don’t overinflate the balloon! It should be too large to slip through the neck of the bottle via gravity alone but not so large that it would burst were it to get pushed through. • Once your water reaches a rapid boil, very carefully pour it into your bottle to about a quarter of the way full. • Place the filled water balloon in the neck of the bottle. • Stand back and watch as the balloon gets sucked into the bottle. Knowing what we know now about water and steam pressure, why do you think this happens? • Extra: Try sketching a diagram that includes illustrations of what the air and water molecules look like during each phase of the experiment. Read “Observations and Results” below for some hints. • Extra: Suction is a misleading concept. Condensing steam doesn’t have attractive power of its own, like a magnet does. It doesn’t actually pull or suck the balloon into the bottle. When the steam molecules stop pushing out of the bottle, and stop pushing on the balloon, something else outside the bottle becomes strong enough to push the balloon into the bottle—and it’s not gravity. What might it be? • Extra: What happens if the balloon is too big? Why? Observations and Results When the water was heated, its molecules began to move rapidly, turning some into its gas phase: steam. When in a gas phase, water molecules are spaced much farther apart and take up more space. The pressures inside and outside the bottle reach a state of equilibrium, meaning that they are the same. Why? With the neck of the bottle unobstructed, the expanding steam can move from inside the bottle out into the surrounding air.
Here’s when everything changes: When the steam in the bottle starts cooling down and we place the balloon in the bottle’s neck. Without heat, the water molecules inside the bottle start condensing—that is, they start turning from steam back into liquid water. When matter turns from its gas phase back into its liquid phase, the molecules take up much less space and exert far less pressure. In fact, the condensing steam creates a partial vacuum—a region of much lower pressure than that of the surrounding atmosphere—inside the bottle. Remember, unlike the condensing steam the air outside the bottle doesn’t change, and still exerts a pressure of its own. We call the resulting difference between these two areas a pressure gradient. The pressures aren’t able to equalize easily because the balloon blocks the gases from flowing from one area into another. So what happens? The gas on the outside (air) pushes harder than gas on the inside (the condensing steam), so the balloon gets pushed—and pulled—into the bottle.
Another way to describe what happened is to use the word “suction,” because the water balloon was sucked through the neck and into the bottle. But suction can be a misleading concept! What we’re really talking about when we talk about “suction” is a liquid or gas force that pushes on something in the absence of an equal force pushing back. You can crunch an empty water bottle simply by sucking the air out of it. The outside air pressure is what causes the bottle to collapse, because you’ve removed the air inside that was pushing back!
More to explore Condensation Balloon Trick , from ScienceFix.com Crunch a Can , from Education.com Balloon in a Bottle: An Air Pressure Experiment , from Education.com Balloon Air Pressure Magic , from Education.com
This activity brought to you in partnership with Education.com
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Have you ever noticed the wetness that forms on the outside of a cold glass or can of soda? Where do you think that moisture comes from? Try this experiment to see if you can figure it out!
Here's what to do:
- Put ice cubes into two clear plastic cups until they are about ½-full.
- Pour cold water into both cups so they are each about ¾-full.
- Quickly place one of the cups in a zip-closing plastic bag. Try to get as much air out as you can and then close the bag securely. You should have two identical cups of ice and water. One cup should be exposed to the air and the other should be in a bag, not exposed to the air.
- Ask your adult partner to use scissors to cut the coffee filter into two equal-size pieces.
- Rub one piece of the coffee filter on the outside of the cup that has been exposed to the air. Check the paper to see if it looks wet. What do you notice?
- Now rub the other piece of coffee filter on the outside of the cup that has been in the bag and not exposed to the air. Check the paper to see if it looks wet. What do you notice?
What to expect
There should be moisture on the outside of the cup that was exposed to the air and much less moisture on the outside of the cup that was in the bag.
What's happening in there?
Most air, except for in very dry places, has water molecules mixed in with the other molecules that make up the air. When water molecules in the air get cold, they slow down, join together, and become tiny drops of liquid water. This process is called condensation. This is what happens when water molecules in the air touch the outside of the cold cup that is exposed to air. Not much air touches the cup in the bag so not much moisture can form on it.
What else could you try?
If the air around you doesn’t have enough water vapor in it to cause moisture to form on the outside of a cold cup, here’s another way to see how condensation happens.
What you'll need:
- 2 wide clear plastic cups
- 2 tall clear plastic cups
- hot tap water
- piece of ice
Be sure to review the safety instructions on page 1 before proceeding.
- Fill two wide cups about 2/3 full of hot tap water.
- Quickly place a tall clear plastic cup over each of the cups.
- Place a piece of ice on the top of one of the cups and wait about 2-3 minutes.
- After the ice has been on the cup for 2-3 minutes, remove it and use a paper towel to dry off the water from the melted ice.
- Look closely at the top of each cup. Use a magnifier if you have one. What do you notice?
The inside top surface of the cup with the ice should have more and bigger water drops on it than the top inside surface of the cup without the ice.
The inside of each cup should have a lot of water vapor in it from the evaporating hot water. That water vapor will condense into liquid water when it touches the cooler surface of the upper cup. But it will condense even faster if the surface is even colder because of the ice.
Think about this …
Water evaporates all the time from oceans, lakes, rivers, and other bodies of water. What do you think happens when the water vapor gets high into the sky and meets colder air?
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2. form smoke particles, 4. watch the cloud appear, 5. make it disappear, 6. the real deal.
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Make a Cloud in a Bottle
Have you ever wondered how clouds form? In this activity, you can make your own cloud to see for yourself!
Clouds form from the condensation or freezing of water vapor. Condensation is the process of a gas changing into a liquid. In this activity, the gas is water vapor and the liquid is the cloud you create. When water vapor cools, it turns into a liquid – or condenses – onto a surface.
For example, take a cold water bottle outside on a warm day. You will notice that water droplets form on the outside of the bottle. These droplets are water vapor from the atmosphere condensing on the surface of the bottle. They do this because the surrounding air cools when it touches the bottle. Clouds form the same way. Water vapor in the atmosphere cools and condenses on particles in the air, creating a cloud.
Follow the steps below to create your own cloud and see this process in action!
Transparent glass jar
Warm tap water (not boiling)
Metal tray or hard-plastic frozen ice pack
Spoon or stirrer
37 Water Science Experiments: Fun & Easy
We’ve curated a diverse selection of water related science experiments suitable for all ages, covering topics such as density, surface tension, water purification, and much more.
These hands-on, educational activities will not only deepen your understanding of water’s remarkable properties but also ignite a passion for scientific inquiry.
So, grab your lab coat and let’s dive into the fascinating world of water-based science experiments!
Water Science Experiments
1. walking water science experiment.
This experiment is a simple yet fascinating science experiment that involves observing the capillary action of water. Children can learn a lot from this experiment about the characteristics of water and the capillary action phenomenon. It is also a great approach to promote scientific curiosity and enthusiasm.
Learn more: Walking Water Science Experiment
2. Water Filtration Experiment
A water filtering experiment explains how to purify contaminated water using economical supplies. The experiment’s goal is to educate people about the procedure of water filtration, which is crucial in clearing water of impurities and contaminants so that it is safe to drink.
Learn more: Water Filtration Experiment
3. Water Cycle in a Bag
The water cycle in a bag experiment became to be an enjoyable and useful instructional exercise that helps students understand this idea. Participants in the experiment can observe the many water cycle processes by building a model of the water cycle within a Ziplock bag.
4. Cloud in a Jar
The rain cloud in a jar experiment is a popular instructional project that explains the water cycle and precipitation creation. This experiment is best done as a water experiment since it includes monitoring and understanding how water changes state from a gas (water vapor) to a liquid (rain) and back to a gas.
Learn more: Cloud in a Jar
5. The Rising Water
The rising water using a candle experiment is a wonderful way to teach both adults and children the fundamentals of physics while also giving them an exciting look at the properties of gases and how they interact with liquids.
6. Leak Proof Bag Science Experiment
In the experiment, a plastic bag will be filled with water, and after that, pencils will be inserted through the bag without causing it to leak.
The experiments explain how the plastic bag’s polymer chains stretch and form a barrier that keeps water from dripping through the holes the pencils have produced.
Learn more: Leak Proof Bag Science Experiment
7. Keep Paper Dry Under Water Science Experiment
The experiment is an enjoyable way for demonstrating air pressure and surface tension for both adults and children. It’s an entertaining and engaging technique to increase scientific curiosity and learn about scientific fundamentals.
Learn more: Keep Paper Dry Under Water Science Experiment
8. Frozen Water Science Experiment
The Frozen Water Science Experiment is a fun and engaging project that teaches about the qualities of water and how it behaves when frozen.
You can gain a better knowledge of the science behind the freezing process and investigate how different variables can affect the outcome by carrying out this experiment.
9. Make Ice Stalagmites
10. Bending of Light
A fascinating scientific activity that explores visual principles and how light behaves in different surfaces is the “bending of light” water experiment. This experiment has applications in physics, engineering, and technology in addition to being a fun and interesting method to learn about the characteristics of light.
11. Salt on a Stick
This experiment is an excellent way to catch interest, engage in practical learning, and gain a deeper understanding of the characteristics of water and how they relate to other substances. So the “Salt on Stick” water experiment is definitely worth trying if you’re looking for a fun and educational activity to try!
Learn More: Water Cycle Experiment Salt and Stick
12. Separating Mixture by Evaporation
This method has practical applications in fields like water processing and is employed in a wide range of scientific disciplines, from chemistry to environmental science.
You will better understand the principles determining the behavior of mixtures and the scientific procedures used to separate them by performing this experiment at home.
13. Dancing Spaghetti
Have you ever heard of the dancing spaghetti experiment? It’s a fascinating science experiment that combines simple materials to create a mesmerizing visual display.
The dancing spaghetti experiment is not only entertaining, but it also helps you understand the scientific concepts of chemical reactions, gas production, and acidity levels.
14. Magic Color Changing Potion
The magic color-changing potion experiment with water, vinegar, and baking soda must be tried since it’s an easy home-based scientific experiment that’s entertaining and educational.
This experiment is an excellent way to teach kids about chemical reactions and the characteristics of acids and bases while providing them an interesting and satisfying activity.
15. Traveling Water Experiment
In this experiment, you will use simple objects like straws or strings to make a path for water to pass between two or more containers.
Learn more: Rookie Parenting
16. Dry Erase and Water “Floating Ink” Experiment
The dry-erase and water “floating ink” experiment offers an interesting look at the characteristics of liquids and the laws of buoyancy while also being a great method to educate kids and adults to the fundamentals of science.
Learn more: Dry Erase and Water Floating Ink Experiment
17. Underwater Candle
In this experiment, we will investigate a connection between fire and water and learn about the remarkable factors of an underwater candle.
18. Static Electricity and Water
19. Tornado in a Glass
This captivating experiment will demonstrate how the forces of air and water can combine to create a miniature vortex, resembling a tornado.
Learn more: Tornado in a Glass
20. Make Underwater Magic Sand
Be ready to build a captivating underwater world with the magic sand experiment. This experiment will examine the fascinating characteristics of hydrophobic sand, sometimes referred to as magic sand.
21. Candy Science Experiment
Get ready to taste the rainbow and learn about the science behind it with the Skittles and water experiment! In this fun and colorful experiment, we will explore the concept of solubility and observe how it affects the diffusion of color.
Density Experiments
Density experiments are a useful and instructive approach to learn about the characteristics of matter and the fundamentals of science, and they can serve as a starting point for further exploration into the fascinating world of science.
Density experiments may be carried out with simple materials that can be found in most homes.
This experiment can be a great hands-on learning experience for kids and science lovers of all ages.
22. Super Cool Lava Lamp Experiment
The awesome lava lamp experiment is an entertaining and educational activity that illustrates the concepts of density and chemical reactions. With the help of common household items, this experiment involves making a handmade lava lamp.
Learn more: Lava Lamp Science Experiment
23. Denser Than you Think
Welcome to the fascinating world of density science! The amount of matter in a particular space or volume is known as density, and it is a fundamental concept in science that can be seen everywhere around us.
Understanding density can help us figure out why some objects float while others sink in water, or why certain compounds do not mix.
24. Egg Salt and Water
Learn about the characteristics of water, including its density and buoyancy, and how the addition of salt affects these characteristics through performing this experiment.
25. Hot Water and Cold-Water Density
In this experiment, hot and cold water are put into a container to see how they react to one other’s temperatures and how they interact.
Sound and Water Experiments
Have you ever wondered how sound travels through different mediums? Take a look at these interesting sound and water experiments and learn how sounds and water can affect each other.
26. Home Made Water Xylophone
You can do this simple scientific experiment at home using a few inexpensive ingredients to create a handmade water xylophone.
The experiment demonstrates the science of sound and vibration and demonstrates how changing water concentrations can result in a range of tones and pitches.
Learn more: Home Made Water Xylophone
27. Create Water Forms Using Sound!
A remarkable experiment that exhibits the ability of sound waves to influence and impact the physical world around us is the creation of water formations using sound.
In this experiment, sound waves are used to generate patterns and shapes, resulting in amazing, intricate designs that are fascinating to observe.
28. Sound Makes Water Come Alive
These experiments consist of using sound waves to create water vibrations, which can result in a variety of dynamic and captivating phenomena.
29. Water Whistle
The water whistle experiment includes blowing air through a straw that is submerged in water to produce a whistle.
This experiment is an excellent way to learn about the characteristics of sound waves and how water can affect them.
Water Surface Tension Experiments
You can observe the effects of surface tension on the behavior of liquids by conducting a surface tension experiment.
By trying these experiments, you can gain a better understanding of the properties of liquids and their behavior and how surface tension affects their behavior.
30. Floating Paperclip
In this experiment, you will put a paper clip on the top of the water and observe it float because of the water’s surface tension.
31. Water Glass Surface Tension
Have you ever noticed how, on some surfaces, water drops may form perfect spheres? The surface tension, which is a characteristic of water and the cohesive force that holds a liquid’s molecules together at its surface, is to blame for this.
32. Camphor Powered Boat
The camphor-powered boat experiment is a fun and fascinating way to explore the principles of chemistry, physics, and fluid mechanics. In this experiment, a miniature boat is used to travel across the water’s surface using camphor tablets.
33. Pepper and Soap Experiment
The pepper in a cloud experiment is a simple and interesting activity that explains the concept of surface tension. This experiment includes adding pepper to a bowl of water and then pouring soap to the mixture, causing the pepper to move away from the soap.
Learn more: Pepper and Soap Experiment
Boiling Water Experiments
Experiments with boiling water are an engaging and informative way to learn about physics, chemistry, and water’s characteristics.
These investigations, which include examining how water behaves when it changes temperature and pressure, can shed light on a variety of scientific phenomena.
It’s important to take the proper safety measures when performing experiments with hot water. Boiling water can produce steam and hot particles that are dangerous to inhale in and can result in severe burns if it comes into contact with skin.
34. Make It Rain
This experiment can be accomplished using basic supplies that can be found in most homes, make it an excellent opportunity for hands-on learning for both kids and science lovers.
Learn more: Make it Rain
35. Fire Water Balloons
Learning about the fundamentals of thermodynamics, the behavior of gases, and the effects of heat on objects are all made possible by this experiment.
36. Boil Water with Ice
The Boiling Water with Ice experiment is an engaging and beneficial approach to learn about temperature and the behavior of water. It can also serve as an introduction for further discovery into the wonderful world of science.
37. Boil Water in a Paper Cup
The “boil water in a cup” experiment is an easier but powerful approach to illustrate the idea of heat transmission by conduction. This experiment is often used in science classes to teach students about thermal conductivity and the physics of heat transfer.
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Cloud in a Bottle Demonstration
Use Water Vapor to Form a Cloud
- Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville
- B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College
Here's a quick and easy science project you can do: make a cloud inside a bottle. Clouds form when water vapor forms tiny visible droplets. This results from cooling the vapor. It helps to provide particles around which the water can liquefy. In this project, we'll use smoke to help form a cloud.
Cloud in a Bottle Materials
You only need a few basic materials for this science project:
- 1-liter bottle
Let's Make Clouds
- Pour just enough warm water in the bottle to cover the bottom of the container.
- Light the match and place the match head inside the bottle.
- Allow the bottle to fill with smoke.
- Cap the bottle.
- Squeeze the bottle really hard a few times. When you release the bottle, you should see the cloud form. It may disappear between "squeezes."
The Other Way to Do It
You can also apply the ideal gas law to make a cloud in a bottle: PV = nRT, where P is pressure, V is volume, n is number of moles , R is a constant, and T is temperature.
If the amount of gas (as in a closed container) isn't changed, then if you raise the pressure, the only way for the temperature of the gas to be unchanged is by decreasing the container volume proportionally. If you're not sure you can squeeze the bottle hard enough to achieve this (or that it would bounce back) and want a really dense cloud, you can do the not-as-child-friendly version of this demonstration (still pretty safe). Pour hot water from a coffeemaker into the bottom of the bottle. Instant cloud! (... and a slight melting of the plastic) If you can't find any matches, light a strip of cardboard on fire, insert it into the bottle, and let the bottle get nice and smoky.
How Clouds Form
Molecules of water vapor will bounce around like molecules of other gases unless you give them a reason to stick together. Cooling the vapor slows the molecules down, so they have less kinetic energy and more time to interact with each other. How do you cool the vapor? When you squeeze the bottle, you compress the gas and increase its temperature. Releasing the container lets the gas expand, which causes its temperature to go down. Real clouds form as warm air rises. As air gets higher, its pressure is reduced. The air expands, which causes it to cool. As it cools below the dew point, water vapor forms the droplets we see as clouds. Smoke acts the same in the atmosphere as it does in the bottle. Other nucleation particles include dust, pollution, dirt, and even bacteria.
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Collection of Physics Experiments
Water vapour condensation, experiment number : 1768, goal of experiment.
Our goal is to visualize a temperature increase caused by condensation of water vapour.
The described experiment can to be considered complementary to the experiment Evaporation of Water and Ethanol (with Thermal Imaging Camera) . Explanation of this experiment is that the evaporating liquid takes out latent heat of vaporization L v from its surroundings, and thus the vapour has higher energy than the liquid of the same temperature. Logical reasoning leads us to the conclusion that the condensation (liquefaction) of gas gives off “excessive” energy as heat to become liquid. This heat is called the latent heat of condensation L c of the gas and its size equals to the latent heat of vaporization L v of liquid of the same temperature.
In our experiment, we show a local temperature increase above the water level in a cup; the water vapour condensates on a paper covering the cup.
Thermal imaging camera, cup with water at a temperature slightly lower than the ambient temperature (e.g. 2 °C), sheet of paper.
Fill a cup with water and cover the cup with a sheet of paper. Observe the temperature change of the paper by the thermal imaging camera.
Sample result
The experiment is illustrated by the video below. At the place where the paper covers the water surface, we can see a temperature increase of about 1 °C. This increase is temporary, after a while the sheet of paper comes to thermal equilibrium with the surroundings.
In this experiment, the thermal imaging camera FLIR i7 was used. The temperature range of colour scheme was chosen in the interval from 19 °C to 25 °C, the emissivity was ε = 0.95.
Technical notes
It is important to set the range of the thermal imaging camera so that the temperature difference between maximum and minimum tepmerature is the smallest possible – we need to be able to detect really small changes in temperature in order of about 1 °C.
Pedagogical notes
It is ideal to perform this experiment with water of temperature a few degrees lower than the temperature of the surroundings. For this purpose it is useful to use cold tap water; its typical temperature is 20 °C (of course it is recommended to try it before conducting the experiment). With cold water the experiment is quite demonstrative – although the water itself is colder than the surroundings, the paper is heated to a temperature greater that the temperature of the surroundings thanks to the latent heat of condensation.
If you choose to experiment with water of higher temperature (same as the temperature of the surroundings or higher), students can explain the temperature increase of the paper by heat exchange between the water and the paper. On the other hand, if you choose water that is too cold (five or more degrees lower that the temperature of the surroundings), the effect can be supressed and the experiment is unconvincing.
Inspiration
This experiment was inspired by a similar experiment on web page Infrared Tube that is dedicated to experiments with thermal imaging camera.
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Recovering water from a solution using a condenser
In association with Nuffield Foundation
- No comments
Use this demonstration to show how pure water can be recovered from copper sulfate solution using a condenser
When copper sulfate solution is boiled, pure water vapour is produced. In this experiment, students observe how this may be captured using a water-cooled condenser, producing liquid water with a boiling point of 100°C.
This demonstration should take about 15 minutes (not including assembling the apparatus), and follows on from another simple experiment which students can try for themselves, using simple distillation to recover water from copper(II) sulfate solution .
- Distillation flask, at least 100 cm 3 capacity
- Water-cooled (Liebig) condenser and connection tubing to tap and sink
- Corks or bungs to assemble apparatus (or use Quickfit apparatus)
- Thermometer, –10 °C to +110 °C
- Stand, boss and clamp, x2
- Bunsen burner
- Tripod and gauze
- Heat resistant mat
- Beaker, 100 cm 3
- Anti-bumping granules (or pumice stone, or pieces of broken porcelain)
- Copper(II) sulfate(VI) solution, 1 M (HARMFUL, DANGEROUS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT), 30 cm 3
Health, safety and technical notes
- Read our standard health and safety guidance.
- Wear eye protection throughout.
- Copper(II) sulfate(VI) solution, CuSO 4 (aq), (HARMFUL at this concentration) – see CLEAPSS Hazcard HC027c and CLEAPSS Recipe Book RB031. Copper(II) sulfate(VI) is DANGEROUS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT – recycle the copper sulfate after the demonstration by mixing it with the water that has collected in the beaker.
- Set up the apparatus as shown in the diagram, with about 30 cm 3 copper(II) sulfate(VI) solution (and a few anti-bumping granules) in the flask.
- Turn on the cooling water. Only a slow flow through the apparatus is needed.
- Heat the copper sulfate solution until it boils, then adjust the flame to keep it boiling gently.
- Read the thermometer as water begins to condense on it and then as the vapour moves down into the condenser.
- Use a beaker to collect the water that runs out of the condenser.
Source: Royal Society of Chemistry
How to boil copper sulfate solution to produce pure water vapour, which can then be condensed and collected
Teaching notes
As in the student experiment based on distilling water from copper sulfate solution , an important point is that the blue solution boils to give the colourless solvent (water). In this experiment, the boiling point of the solvent can be measured and should be steady and close to 100 °C (depending on the accuracy of the thermometer, and the pressure). This is by far the best test for pure water. The use of cobalt(II) chloride paper or anhydrous copper(II) sulfate only indicates the presence of water.
Evaporation occurs at any temperature. Boiling occurs when the vapour pressure of the liquid equals the pressure of the atmosphere. At this temperature, small bubbles (which contain water vapour, not air) are formed in the liquid and rise to the surface. Anti-bumping granules help these bubbles to form. If the granules are not there, the liquid may ‘bump’, ie boil violently.
Point out to the students the mode of action of the water condenser. If water enters at the bottom and comes out at the top, only a slow flow through the condenser is needed.
Additional information
This is a resource from the Practical Chemistry project , developed by the Nuffield Foundation and the Royal Society of Chemistry.
Practical Chemistry activities accompany Practical Physics and Practical Biology .
© Nuffield Foundation and the Royal Society of Chemistry
- 11-14 years
- Demonstrations
- Compounds and mixtures
Specification
- Water that is safe to drink is called potable water. Potable water is not pure water in the chemical sense because it contains dissolved substances.
- Describe the differences in treatment of ground water and salty .
- Give reasons for the steps used to produce potable water.
- RP11 Analysis and purification of water samples from different sources, including pH, dissolved solids and distillation.
- 2.12 Describe how: waste and ground water can be made potable, including the need for sedimentation, filtration and chlorination; sea water can be made potable by using distillation; water used in analysis must not contain any dissolved salts
- C1.4.1 describe the principal methods for increasing the availability of potable water, in terms of the separation techniques used, including the ease of treating waste, ground and salt water including filtration and membrane filtration; aeration, use of…
- C6.2g describe the principal methods for increasing the availability of potable water in terms of the separation techniques used
- C6.3g describe the principal methods for increasing the availability of potable water in terms of the separation techniques used
- 2. Develop and use models to describe the nature of matter; demonstrate how they provide a simple way to to account for the conservation of mass, changes of state, physical change, chemical change, mixtures, and their separation.
- 4. Classify substances as elements, compounds, mixtures, metals, non-metals, solids, liquids, gases and solutions.
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Shop Experiment Vapor Pressure of Liquids Experiments
Vapor pressure of liquids.
Experiment #10 from Chemistry with Vernier
Introduction
In this experiment, you will investigate the relationship between the vapor pressure of a liquid and its temperature. When a liquid is added to the Erlenmeyer flask, it will evaporate into the air above it in the flask. Eventually, equilibrium is reached between the rate of evaporation and the rate of condensation. At this point, the vapor pressure of the liquid is equal to the partial pressure of its vapor in the flask. Pressure and temperature data will be collected using a Gas Pressure Sensor and a Temperature Probe. The flask will be placed in water baths of different temperatures to determine the effect of temperature on vapor pressure. You will also compare the vapor pressure of two different liquids, ethanol and methanol, at the same temperature.
In this experiment, you will
- Investigate the relationship between the vapor pressure of a liquid and its temperature.
- Compare the vapor pressure of two different liquids at the same temperature.
Sensors and Equipment
This experiment features the following sensors and equipment. Additional equipment may be required.
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Hands On As We Grow®
Hands on kids activities for hands on moms. Focusing on kids activities perfect for toddlers and preschoolers.
Science Experiment : Ice, Water, Vapor
Learning Preschoolers Experiment Kitchen Water Activities 10 Comments
Henry woke up asking to do an experiment!
When I asked what kind of experiment he’d like to do, he replied, Ice!
Probably thinking of our sand and salt experiment on ice that we did for the 30 Days to Hands on Play Challenge (for Day 22, Investigate ).
I didn’t have anything prepared yet, but ice cubes. So after asking some fans on Facebook ( check here to see their suggestions for ice experiments ).
I came up with a simple, yet fun, interactive science experiment with ice.
Watching and causing the changes ofthe phases of water as an ice cube melts and turns into water. It then comes to a boil and vaporizes into thin air, disappearing completely.
This is how we did it. I set up three ice stations. Two pots and one bowl.
Henry added six ice cubes to each ice station (great counting practice for him).
In one of the pots, as well as the bowl, I added a handful of salt to the ice cubes (hoping this would be a salt vs non-salt experiment).
I then added low heat to the two pots on the stove. Henry’s been loving the chance to get to work at the stove (and I’m getting braver to letting him do so).
I gave Henry a spoon to stir the ice cubes, just as something for him to do.
We watched and compared each of the ice stations. We watched to see which pot or bowlmelted the fastest.
(The bowl quickly became ignored as nothing was happening in it since there was no heat!)
The pots were a happening experiment though! The ice cubes quickly melted and turned into water. Then once the water heated, it started bubbling, beginning to boil. Even then, it didn’t stop! The water quickly turned into vapor, leaving an empty bowl.
Our salt versus non-salt experiment kind of flopped. I had put the salt in the smaller pot. This pot took longer to melt and vaporize because the water was then deeper. So I didn’t emphasize the salt factor too much. Henry had also started putting ice cubes in the other pot first, too, which might have made a difference.
But we did notice one thing.
The salt left a residue on the pan! We noticed it first when the water began to boil.
And by the time the water completely vaporized, the difference was transparent! The salt pot was thick with a salty residue left in the pan!
Henry thought it would be necessary to get rid of the salt. So, instead of ‘cleaning’ the pot, we ‘dissolved’ the salt in water.
Add a little learning to our playtime! This is a learning post to celebrate with the lesson plan mom, Jill’s, first anniversary for her blog: A Mom with a Lesson Plan ! She has brilliant learning activities that are geared towards the mom without a lesson plan. She’s got the ideas and simple ways that anyone can do it with their kids. Simple ideas, should I say, to add a little learning to our playtime!
Here are some more ideas that others are doing to add a little learning to our playtime, as well as celebrating A Mom with a Lesson Plan ‘s Blogaversary!
About Jamie Reimer
Jamie learned to be a hands on mom by creating activities, crafts and art projects for her three boys to do. Jamie needed the creative outlet that activities provided to get through the early years of parenting with a smile! Follow Jamie on Pinterest and Instagram !
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10 comments.
Emma @sciencesparks says
December 6, 2011 at 10:26 pm
What a great idea. My children would love that!
Thanks so much for linking to Science Sparks x
Home School Coach says
December 2, 2011 at 2:39 pm
This was great. I love that little guys want to learn all about things in the world and I love it when I see mom's and dad's who are up to the challenge. : )
rachelle | tinkerlab says
November 30, 2011 at 5:08 am
I love this post, Jamie. We're all about experiments in my house, and I get this sort of request OFTEN! It's funny to read about how you were scrambling to meet Henry's request. Just today my daughter and I were sewing and she asked me if we could make her a dress! Um, yeah, that would take about 3 hours and fabric that we didn't have. But we came up with a skirt compromise based on what was available and she was thrilled (and entertained for the whole afternoon).
Andrea says
November 30, 2011 at 4:37 am
Great idea! I love the simplicity of it!
Andrea @ myhomeschooltale.blogspot.com
Jill @ A Mom With A Lesson Plan says
November 29, 2011 at 1:54 pm
What a perfect activity! I can't wait to give it a try. Thanks for joining up, and ALL of the support you have given me over this year.
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Studying Earth’s Stratospheric Water Vapor
Home » Blog » Studying Earth’s Stratospheric Water Vapor
What does water vapor have in common with Sisyphus, the mythological Greek character cursed to roll a rock uphill only to have it roll back down again? Water is continuously cycling on Earth between bodies of water such as oceans, lakes and rivers, land surfaces, and in the atmosphere. When water warms and evaporates from the Earth’s surface it becomes gaseous in the form of water vapor, H 2 O. As water vapor rises into the atmosphere, it cools and can condense into clouds which can produce rain or snow bringing water back to the Earth’s surface. And the cycle begins again.
Water vapor is also an important component in Earth’s evolving climate system. As a major greenhouse gas – a gas that traps heat – water vapor absorbs heat produced by Earth’s surface and the shining Sun. The water molecules then emit that heat back to Earth’s surface which can increase the temperature. This relationship between an increase in water vapor in the atmosphere contributing to warming temperatures, and warmer temperatures causing an increase in water vapor is called a positive feedback loop.
Although water vapor in the stratosphere is only a few molecules per million air molecules, this positive feedback relationship between water vapor and temperature is important as scientists study to better understand how much this impacts Earth’s changing climate.
In addition to measuring stratospheric ozone and aerosols, the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) III instrument on the International Space Station (ISS) measures trace gases including water vapor. Unlike many other science data instruments, SAGE III provides a very precise and highly accurate measurement of water vapor in the upper troposphere and throughout the stratosphere.
Other satellite-based instruments, such as the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) on NASA’s Aura and the High-Altitude Lidar Observatory (HALO), measure atmospheric water vapor in the upper troposphere and stratosphere. SAGE III uses the solar occultation technique, which is unique, in that it can take more precise measurements covering vertical layers of atmosphere.
“Because SAGE III provides such a high accuracy data set, we can look at different levels of the atmosphere in more detail than ever before. We can see every kilometer in the vertical profiles of data,” said Mijeong Park, Project Scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, CO.
In partnership with the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the SAGE III team at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia released initial analyses of the SAGE III water vapor data version 5.1 in the paper “Near-Global Variability of Stratospheric Water Vapor Observed by SAGE III/ISS.”
Throughout the paper, the SAGE III version 5.1 water vapor data are validated against MLS version 5 retrievals and show overall first-rate agreement between the two data sets. The relatively young SAGE III/ISS dataset is recording water vapor seasonal variability that agrees well with MLS from the tropopause through the middle stratosphere (∼16–30 km).
By looking at SAGE III data between 2017 and 2020, scientists were given some insight into the year-to-year variability of H 2 O during boreal summer monsoon season. A monsoon is a seasonal change in wind and rain patterns observed in certain parts of the world, including North America.
“By looking at multiple years of data, we can understand how much water vapor is going into the stratosphere through the summer monsoon circulation each year,” said Park.
In the figure above, SAGE III (a and c) is compared to MLS (b and d) for August 2017 (top) and January 2018 (bottom). In August of 2017, SAGE III H2O showed that water vapor over the North American monsoon region was relatively higher than over the Asian monsoon region. While the SAGE III instrument takes about one month to cover the latitude range ∼60N–60S, scientists have found that this monthly sampling captures more localized values of water vapor in the lower stratosphere.
Although the summer monsoon season varies year by year, SAGE’s ability to detect the interannual variability of stratospheric water vapor during monsoon season helps scientists better understand how changes in water vapor are contributing to Earth’s climate.
Scientists are also able to study relative humidity (RH) with SAGE III’s water vapor data. Relative humidity tells us how much water vapor is in the air, relative to how much water vapor the air could hold at a given temperature. As air temperatures rise, warmer air can hold more water vapor increasing the saturation point. Cold air can hold less water vapor.
The RH-temperature relationships captured by SAGE III agree with the near-tropopause data derived from high-resolution Upper Troposphere/Lower Stratosphere (UTLS) aircraft measurements, which enhances the science community’s confidence in the quality of the SAGE III data set.
“The SAGE III data can be used for more detailed studies of relative humidity distribution and its variability because of the accuracy. It will also help scientists to better simulate our climate using global climate models,” said Park.
While SAGE III will continue to measure water vapor from ISS over the coming years, a longer record of water vapor data is needed.
“It is very important to have a continuous measurement of water vapor anywhere on Earth. There are many ways to measure water vapor, by satellite, like SAGE, by airplane, or by ground-based instruments. There is only one continuous water vapor record of 30-plus years from balloon measurements in Boulder, Colorado. Satellite missions have limited lifetimes. We need continuous measurements of water vapor to really understand how water vapor affects our climate,” said Park.
EXPERIMENT 11: VAPOUR PRESSURE
Introduction.
Some molecules of a liquid can escape from the liquid surface (evaporate) because of their kinetic energy. If these molecules, now in the vapour phase, are collected in a closed container, they will exert a pressure that is known as the vapour pressure, P * , of the liquid, as indicated in Figure 1.
Figure 1 : The microscopic process of evaporation and condensation at the liquid surface, by HellTchi , licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
As the temperature increases so does the kinetic energy of molecules. Then more molecules escape the liquid phase (evaporate) and the number of molecules above the liquid increases, yielding a higher vapour pressure. Consequently, the vapour pressure of a liquid depends heavily on temperature. The higher the temperature, the higher the vapour pressure. The relationship is not linear, though, but follows the expression
where T is the absolute temperature, and A , B are constants for any given liquid.
When the temperature is such that the vapour pressure of a liquid reaches the outside pressure (which is often atmospheric pressure), the liquid will start boiling. When boiling happens, if additional energy is supplied, the temperature and pressure will remain constant until all the liquid evaporates, unless the system is in a closed container. In a closed container, the generated vapours will increase the pressure and the liquid will stop boiling (because the container pressure will be higher than the vapour pressure), unless its temperature also increases.
To measure the vapour pressure of a liquid we exploit this principle that the liquid boils when its temperature is such that the vapour pressure is equal to the system pressure. We set the pressure of the system and slowly heat-up the liquid until it starts boiling. If the process happens slow-enough, as it should be, it is difficult to visually assess when boiling happens (there will be no vigorous bubbling). Therefore, we rely on temperature to assess boiling: boiling happens when the temperature of the liquid stays constant while being heated because all the added energy is used for phase change.
If we use this technique to calculate the vapour pressure at a few temperature levels, we can then employ equation (1) to calculate the vapour pressure at any temperature. The easiest way to do this is by plotting log 10 P versus 1/T which yields a straight line with intercept A and slope B.
The apparatus used in the E030 lab is a simple one consisting of parts that can be found in any chemistry lab. The main parts of the apparatus are shown in Figure 2. Essentially, a small flask is placed under low (vacuum) pressure using the lab’s vacuum line. Methanol is added into this low-pressure space and is heated through a hot-water bath. The methanol’s temperature is constantly monitored to assess when the methanol boils under the system’s pressure, which, as mentioned above, provides the boiling temperature at the system’s pressure or the vapour pressure at this temperature. This process is continuously repeated at increasing pressures to provide a set of vapour pressures at different temperatures.
Figure 2: Vapour pressure apparatus in E030
The purpose of the experiment is:
- To understand what vapour pressure is and how it changes with temperature.
- To understand the relationship between vapour pressure at a given temperature and boiling temperature at a given pressure.
- To determine the vapour pressure of a pure liquid at various temperatures.
Before proceeding, check your understanding by performing the following drag-and-drop task.
You are given a set of temperatures and vapour pressures for a substance. The data sets are not ordered; so, you must match the temperature with the vapour pressure. Recall that the relationship is monotonic: higher temperature leads to higher vapour pressure.
- Ensure that the stopcock from the funnel is closed. Place about 10 mL of methanol into the funnel of the vapour pressure apparatus. Set the water bath around the flask and start its stirring but do not heat yet.
- Connect the apparatus to the vacuum tap and turn on the tap. Evacuate the entire apparatus until the pressure inside is about 120 mmHg. *NOTE : Make sure there are no leaks in the apparatus by observing the “vacuum pressure”; it should be constant.
- Allow a small amount of liquid (enough so that there is visible liquid in the flask) from the funnel to run onto the cotton fibre around the thermometer bulb. Heat the water bath until the temperature is 5 to 10°C above the thermometer reading in the flask. Heat the water slowly, as you do not want to overshoot the bath temperature.
- Start recording (1) the temperature of the flask thermometer, (2) the temperature of the bath, and (3) the system pressure every 30 seconds. (three readings every 30 seconds for the duration of the experiment).
- When the flask thermometer reading remains constant, the liquid on the cotton should be in equilibrium with its vapours at the pressure in the apparatus. This happens because all the energy transfer from the hotter bath to the methanol in the flask is used for evaporating the methanol (i.e. methanol boils at the apparatus pressure), which occurs at constant temperature. Take a special note of this flask temperature and the corresponding pressure. This constitutes a pair of vapour pressure at that temperature (or boiling point at that pressure).
- Increase the pressure into the apparatus by about 50 mmHg. This can happen by tightening the clamp on the hose leading to the vacuum tap. Increasing the pressure will increase the boiling temperature of methanol. Then, the temperature of the flask will start increasing as the methanol gets heated by the hotter bath (ensure that the hot bath is always 5-10°C hotter than the flask). This temperature increase will stop when the boiling point of methanol at the new pressure is reached. Take a special note of this flask temperature and the corresponding pressure . This constitutes a new pair of vapour pressure at that temperature (or boiling point at that pressure).
- Repeat the above procedure several times until atmospheric pressure of approximately 760 mmHg is reached.
- When the experiment is finished, allow air into the apparatus until the pressure inside and outside are equalized. Disassemble the system and remove the cotton fibre. Clean and dry the flask and put cold water back into the water bath.
- Repeat the experiment.
First we will look at the raw data collected during the experiment
- Provide two Tables, one for each run, with your recordings of time, flask temperature, hot bath temperature, and system pressure.
- Plot the data of these two Tables. One graph for each run. Place time on the x-axis. The graph must have three sets of data/lines. The two temperatures must be on one y-axis and pressure on another axis.
- Plot on one graph the vapour pressure and temperature pairs for each run. The Table must have two sets of data, one for each run, with temperature on the x-axis.
- Get a literature value for the “Normal Boiling Point” (NBP) of methanol (clearly state your source) and add it to the graph created in step 4.
- What is the relationship between vapour pressure and temperature?
- Are there differences between the two runs? What are any causes of such differences?
- How well do your experimental measurements compare to the NBP of methanol? Why are there differences, if any?
We want to calculate the parameters A and B in order to be able to predict the vapour pressure of methanol and any temperature. For this task you should use the data collected during both runs . Combine the vapour pressure – temperature data from both runs into one Table. If your plot created during step 4 above clearly indicates that the data from one of the two runs is flawed, use data from only one run but clearly state that you are doing this.
- Tabulate: temperature, vapour pressure (P * ), absolute temperature, log(vapour pressure), inverse of absolute pressure.
- Create a plot of log(P * ) versus inverse of absolute temperature.
- Generate a linear trendline through the data. Get Excel (or any graphing software you are using) to show the trendline equation on the plot. Clearly state the values of A and B of equation (2) above.
- State the relationship between log(P * ) and 1/T.
- Vapour pressure of methanol at 50°C, and at 70°C
- The boiling temperature of methanol at 0.5 atm, 1 atm, and 1,2 atm
- Comment on how the boiling point at 1 atm compares with the literature NBP (normal boiling point) of methanol.
- Calculate the vapour pressure of methanol at 50°C and at 70°C using Antoine’s equation (if covered in class) and compare with your predictions during step 6 above. https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/app/uploads/sites/562/2020/05/Video_2.mp4
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Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics
The spectroscopy of water vapour: experiment, theory and applications.
a Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada E-mail: [email protected]
The recent spectroscopy of water vapour in the ground electronic state is reviewed. Experimental advances from the microwave to the near ultraviolet spectral regions are surveyed. On the theoretical front, new approaches to the calculation of vibration–rotation energy levels are covered. Water spectroscopy finds extensive application in astronomy, atmospheric science and combustion research. An illustrative summary of these applications is presented.
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- Chemistry Class 9 Notes
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- Chemical Compounds
- Chemical Formula
- Real life Application of Chemistry
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Chapter 1: Matter in our Surroundings
- Matter is Made of Tiny Particles
- Why Solids, Liquids and Gases Have Different Properties
- Classification of Matter
- Brownian Movement
- States of Matter: Solid, Liquid, Gas and Plasma
- Evaporation
- Effects of Relative Humidity and Wind Speed
- How Does Evaporation Cause Cooling?
- Effect of Change of Temperature
- Melting Point
- What is Vaporization?
- Condensation
- Effects of Change of Pressure
- Difference between Rigidity and Fluidity of Matter
- Prove That Liquids have No fixed Shape but have a Fixed Volume
- Diffusion in Solids, Liquids, and Gases
- What is the Unit of Temperature?
- What is the Relationship Between Celsius and Kelvin Scale of Temperature?
- Liquification of Gases
How to demonstrate the Presence of Water Vapour in Air?
- What is Plasma and Bose-Einstein Condensate?
Chapter 2: Is Matter Around Us Pure?
- Solution: Properties of Solution
- Saturated and Unsaturated Solutions
- Concentration of a Solution
- Suspensions
- How will you distinguish a Colloid from a Solution?
- Classification of Colloids
- Tyndall Effect
- Separation of Mixtures
- How to separate a Mixture of Two Solids?
- Separation by a suitable solvent
- Separation of Mixtures using Sublimation and Magnets
- How to Separate a Mixture of a Solid and a Liquid?
- Filtration: Definition, Process, Diagram and Examples
- Water Purification
- Centrifugation
- How to Separate Cream from milk?
- Difference Between Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Mixture
- Difference Between Compound and Mixture
- Factors affecting Solubility
- Separation by Evaporation
- Crystallization
- Chromatography
- Distillation
- Separation of Mixtures of Two or More Liquids
- Fractional Distillation
- Pure and Impure Substances
- What is an Element?
- Metals, Non-Metals and Metalloids
- Properties of Metals and Non-Metals
Chapter 3: Atoms and Molecules
- Laws of Chemical Combination
- Law of Conservation of Mass
- Verification of the Law of Conservation of Mass in a Chemical Reaction
- Law of Constant Proportions
- What is Atom?
- Atomic Mass
- How Do Atoms Exist?
- Cations vs Anions
- What are Ionic Compounds?
- What are Monovalent Ions?
- What are Divalent Ions?
- Trivalent Ions - Cations and Anions
- Polyatomic Ions
- Formulas of Ionic Compounds
- Chemical Formula of Common Compounds
- Molecular Mass
- Mole Concept
- Problems Based on Mole Concepts
- Dalton's Atomic Theory
- Drawbacks of Dalton's Atomic Theory
- Significance of the Symbol of Elements
- Difference Between Molecules and Compounds
- How to Calculate Valency of Radicals?
- What is the Significance of the Formula of a Substance?
- Gram Atomic and Gram Molecular Mass
Chapter 4: Structure of the Atom
- Charged Particles in Matter
- Thomson's Atomic Model
- Rutherford Atomic Model
- Drawbacks of Rutherford's Atomic Model
- Bohr's Model of an Atom
- Valence Electrons
- Mass Number
- Relation Between Mass Number and Atomic Number
- Why do all the Isotopes of an Element have similar Chemical Properties?
- Why Isotopes have different Physical Properties?
- What is Fractional Atomic Mass?
- Radioactive Isotopes
- Discovery of Electrons
- What is a Proton?
- Rutherford's Alpha Scattering Experiment
- Atomic Nucleus
- How did Neil Bohr explained the Stability of Atom?
- Electron Configuration
- Potassium and Calcium - Atomic Structure, Chemical Properties, Uses
- What is meant by Chemical Combination?
- Difference between Electrovalency and Covalency
Water vapour is the most potent of the greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere. The maximum capacity of water vapour that can be contained in the air depends on the temperature of the air. Warm air can contain more water vapour.
Water continually keeps on cycling through the atmosphere. It evaporates from the surface of the Earth. During this process, it rises in the atmosphere on warm updrafts into the atmosphere. Conversely, it condenses back onto the Earth’s surface into clouds. It is then blown by the wind, thereby reaching the Earth’s surface in the form of rain or snow. The evaporation and condensation water vapour cycle are crucial means of transferring the heat and energy from the surface of the Earth to the atmosphere.
Presence of Water Vapour in air
Water vapour contained in the atmosphere above the temperature of 100 o C is referred to as steam. The liquid phase of water enters the gaseous phase using two primary processes: evaporation and boiling. Both of these are physical changes. Evaporation is the process where the molecules of water get out from the surface of the container into the atmosphere. Boiling is the process involving the transfer of thermal energy to water molecules. Both of these processes involve a phase transition.
The change of this water vapour back into the liquid state is known as condensation . The chemical properties of water remain the same, in all of these processes primarily, evaporation, boiling and condensation.
The biological cycle involving the changes in physical states of water is known as the water cycle, depicted below:
Factors affecting water vapour in the air
- Water vapour is modified, that is, set by air temperatures.
- The warmth of the surface affects the evaporation rate of the water from the surface. This leads to an increased concentration of water vapour in the lower atmosphere, which absorbs and emits longwave radiation.
Absolute vs. Relative Humidity: The water vapour contained in the air is called absolute humidity. The water vapour in the air in comparison to the water vapour that the air can hold is called relative humidity. The space in the atmosphere which contains water varies depending on the temperature and pressure.
Experiment to show the Presence of water vapour in the Air Water vapour is contained in the atmosphere, which can be easily depicted using the following experiment : Apparatus – A glass beaker and ice cubes Procedure – The following procedure can be performed to show the presence of water vapour in air : 1. Take the glass beaker and dry it from outside. 2. Place the ice cubes in the beaker. 3. Leave the ice along with the beaker untouched for some time. Observations – Water droplets collect on the outside of the glass beaker. Take a dry blue cobalt chloride paper. In the presence of water, the paper turns pink in color.
Sample Questions
Question 1: Why do the muggiest days happen at the height of summer heat?
Since the warmer air contains more water vapour in it. Therefore, the muggiest days happen at the height of summer heat. When the temperature decreases, the air can contain less quantity of water vapour. A part of it may turn into liquid water.
Question 2: Water droplets are visible on the grass on a cool summer morning even in the absence of rain. Why?
The water droplets are visible on the grass on a cool summer morning even in the absence of rain most likely came from the water vapours which eventually lead to the formation of water droplets when it cooled to the dew point. At the dew point, water begins to condense out of the air.
Question 3: Explain the procedure of the creation of water vapour.
The water vapour is produced as a result of the boiling liquid water. This is known as evaporation. It may also be produced from the sublimation of ice. It is removed from the atmosphere by the process of condensation under typical atmospheric conditions.
Question 4: How does water vapour affect Earth’s warming?
Water vapour is considered to be one of the Earth’s most vital greenhouse gas. It constitutes about 90% of the Earth’s natural greenhouse effect. This in turn enables to keep the Earth very warm to support life. Thus, water vapour is crucial to the weather and climate.
Question 5. Explain the different ways by which water vapour is put into the atmosphere.
Following are the different ways by which water vapour is put into the atmosphere Evaporation of water contained in oceans, lakes and ponds due to atmospheric heat. Steam production due to factories and thermal power stations. Transpiration of water vapour by plants. Excretion of water vapour through animals.
Question 6. State any characteristic of water vapour.
Water vapour molecules are basically water droplets in gaseous form. These molecules are lighter than the molecules of nitrogen and oxygen which constitute to approximately 99% of the atmosphere.
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How will you show by experiment that air contains water vapours?
A)take out a bottle of soft drink from the refrigerator and place it on the table. b)observe it for few minutes. c)you will see small drops of water appearing on the outer surface of the bottle. d) this is because water vapour present in the air condenses and forms small drops of water. e) this activity proves that air contains water vapour..
Design an experiment to show that air contains water vapour. [3 MARKS]
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This active DIAL technique will also provide data on the cloud coverage by means of the signal reflection on the cloud layers. In DIAL operation, backscatter lidar signals at two wavelengths - at least - are detected. One wavelength (λ ON) is highly absorbed by the species of interest, while the other (λ OFF) is backscattered with minimal absorption. This difference in absorption at the two transmitted wavelengths leads to the determination of the concentration of the species of interest. The DIAL is therefore a dual-wavelength lidar in which the signals detected at the two wavelengths are processed to extract the absolute density of water vapour. The Phase A study performed by ALCATEL Space and their partners under contract of the European Space Agency has led to a credible and innovative concept of instrument, based on a mission performance modelling. The challenge is to foster the scientific return while minimising the development risks and costs of instrument development, in particular the laser transmitter. The paper describes the payload design and the implementation on a low Earth orbiting (LEO) satellite. |
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Cold surfaces can cause water vapor in the air to cool down, condense and form tiny beads of liquid. ... This is a fun experiment where the physics are more observable, the effect more dramatic ...
Here's what to do: Fill two wide cups about 2/3 full of hot tap water. Quickly place a tall clear plastic cup over each of the cups. Place a piece of ice on the top of one of the cups and wait about 2-3 minutes. After the ice has been on the cup for 2-3 minutes, remove it and use a paper towel to dry off the water from the melted ice.
Water was discovered155 by SWAS in a carbon-rich circumstellar cloud of dust and mole-cules around an old star called IRC +10216. Because water vapour should not be present in such an object, it was specu-lated that the water originated from the vaporization of a cloud of comets surrounding the star.155. 5.
Clouds form from the condensation or freezing of water vapor. Condensation is the process of a gas changing into a liquid. In this activity, the gas is water vapor and the liquid is the cloud you create. When water vapor cools, it turns into a liquid - or condenses - onto a surface. For example, take a cold water bottle outside on a warm day.
The rain cloud in a jar experiment is a popular instructional project that explains the water cycle and precipitation creation. This experiment is best done as a water experiment since it includes monitoring and understanding how water changes state from a gas (water vapor) to a liquid (rain) and back to a gas. Learn more: Cloud in a Jar. 5.
Let's Make Clouds. Pour just enough warm water in the bottle to cover the bottom of the container. Light the match and place the match head inside the bottle. Allow the bottle to fill with smoke. Cap the bottle. Squeeze the bottle really hard a few times. When you release the bottle, you should see the cloud form.
The described experiment can to be considered complementary to the experiment Evaporation of Water and Ethanol (with Thermal Imaging Camera).Explanation of this experiment is that the evaporating liquid takes out latent heat of vaporization L v from its surroundings, and thus the vapour has higher energy than the liquid of the same temperature. . Logical reasoning leads us to the conclusion ...
Turn on the cooling water. Only a slow flow through the apparatus is needed. Heat the copper sulfate solution until it boils, then adjust the flame to keep it boiling gently. Read the thermometer as water begins to condense on it and then as the vapour moves down into the condenser. Use a beaker to collect the water that runs out of the ...
The purpose of this experiment is to calculate the enthalpy of vaporization of water by finding the vapor pressure of water over a range of temperatures. 2 Procedure In an inverted 10mL graduated cylinder, a sample of air is trapped. The cylinder is submerged in a 1L beaker of water. The distance between the surface of the water in the
The purpose of this experiment is to study the variation of the vapour pressure of water between about 300K and 373K. The apparatus is shown schematically in the figure. The bulb in which the water vapour is contained has been evacuated of all gases and then filled with mercury and pure water. The pressure of the water vapour causes the mercury ...
Introduction. In this experiment, you will investigate the relationship between the vapor pressure of a liquid and its temperature. When a liquid is added to the Erlenmeyer flask, it will evaporate into the air above it in the flask. Eventually, equilibrium is reached between the rate of evaporation and the rate of condensation.
PH2O is the vapor pressure of water. and. is the absolute temperature. is the gas constant, 8.3145 J mol-1 K-1. is a constant that depends on the particular liquid. The vapor pressure is determined at a series of temperatures. ln (PH2O) is plotted against 1/T to give a straight line with a slope equal to - Hvap /R.
In this experiment, you will. (1) Figure 1. Investigate the relationship between the vapor pressure of a liquid and its temperature. Compare the vapor pressure of two different liquids at the same temperature. Use pressure‐temperature data and the Clausius‐Clapeyron equation to determine the heat of vaporization for each liquid.
Have you ever seen water disappear in front of your eyes? How does this happen? Where does it go? Try this experiment and explore how evaporation works and d...
So after asking some fans on Facebook ( check here to see their suggestions for ice experiments ). I came up with a simple, yet fun, interactive science experiment with ice. Watching and causing the changes ofthe phases of water as an ice cube melts and turns into water. It then comes to a boil and vaporizes into thin air, disappearing completely.
In addition to measuring stratospheric ozone and aerosols, the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) III instrument on the International Space Station (ISS) measures trace gases including water vapor. Unlike many other science data instruments, SAGE III provides a very precise and highly accurate measurement of water vapor in the ...
Place about 10 mL of methanol into the funnel of the vapour pressure apparatus. Set the water bath around the flask and start its stirring but do not heat yet. Connect the apparatus to the vacuum tap and turn on the tap. Evacuate the entire apparatus until the pressure inside is about 120 mmHg.
The recent spectroscopy of water vapour in the ground electronic state is reviewed. Experimental advances from the microwave to the near ultraviolet spectral regions are surveyed. On the theoretical front, new approaches to the calculation of vibration-rotation energy levels are covered. Water spectroscopy f
Take the glass beaker and dry it from outside. 2. Place the ice cubes in the beaker. 3. Leave the ice along with the beaker untouched for some time. Observations -. Water droplets collect on the outside of the glass beaker. Take a dry blue cobalt chloride paper. In the presence of water, the paper turns pink in color.
Air temperature outside is -24 degrees in Merrill, Wisconsin and schools are closed. We took boiling water and tossed it in the air and it became vapor/ice ...
c)you will see small drops of water appearing on the outer surface of the bottle. d) This is because water vapour present in the air condenses and forms small drops of water. e) This activity proves that air contains water vapour.
The WAter vapour Lidar Experiment in Space (WALES) mission aims at providing water vapour profiles with high accuracy and vertical resolution through the troposphere and the lower stratosphere on a global scale using an instrument based on Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) observation technique, and mounted on an Earth orbiting satellite.<p> </p>This active DIAL technique will also provide ...
The State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) and the nine (9) Regional Water Quality Control Boards (RWQCB) (collectively the Water Boards) work to preserve, enhance, and restore the quality of California's water resources and drinking water for the protection of the environment, public health, and all beneficial uses, and to ensure proper water resource allocation and efficient use, for ...
The Packed Bed Reactor Experiment: Water Recovery Series investigates how gravity affects two-phase flow or simultaneous movement of gas and liquid through porous media. ... - This assembly evacuates the Distillation Assembly at startup, periodically purges non-condensable gases and water vapor, and pumps them into the Separator Plumbing ...