Cloud in a bottle experiment explanation

· For the first bottle, add about 1 inch of hot tap water and put the lid on. Shake vigorously.

· Look through the bottle. It is best viewed in good lighting against a dark background.

· Squeeze the bottle as hard as you can, then release it. Repeat this 5 or 6 times.

· You are trying to see if there is any change in the air inside the bottle. To get a clear view, swirl the water around to remove condensation from the inside walls of the bottle.

· For the second bottle, again add about 1 inch of hot tap water, put the lid on, and shake.

· Take the lid off, light a match, blow it out, drop it into the bottle while it is still smoking, then immediately put the lid back on the bottle.

· Again look through the bottle, squeeze the bottle as hard as you can, then release it. Repeat this several times. Swirl the water as needed to remove condensation from the inside walls of the bottle.

· Safety precautions are always important "in the lab". Take a moment to put the matches away, out of reach of children. Thanks!

Which bottle had better cloud formation, the one with smoke in it, or the one without?

Did the cloud appear when you caused high pressure on the air in the bottle (by squeezing), or when you caused low pressure (by releasing)?

What is happening?

The warm moist air in the bottle is close to saturation. Squeezing the bottle increases the air pressure which also causes an adiabatic temperature increase. This increased temperature allows more water to evaporate. Releasing the bottle decreases the pressure and temperature slightly and causes the excess water vapor to condense. The smoke particles are condensation nuclei which improve cloud formation.