2.3. SELF A'STEAM
(Level: 3 : 5 :: Water Cycle)

Purpose: To observe the recycling of water from a liquid to a gas and back to the liquid form.

What You Need: oven mitts :: 2 large cookie sheets (same size) :: large pot :: hot plate :: bag of ice

What You Do:

1. Put on the oven mitts.
2. Boil approximately 3 litres of water in the pot.
3. Place the 2 cookie sheets together, and then put the bag of ice on the top cookie sheet.
4. Hold the 2 cookie sheets and the ice over the boiling water for a few minutes and observe what happens (an observation can be made by tilting the 2 cookie sheets).

Questions:

1. What is the change of water to steam called? What must be present?
2. What is the change from steam back to water called? Where does it occur in the experiment? What must be present?
3. Why do we use a bag of ice in this experiment?
4. How is this experiment similar to the way in which water is recycled in nature?

Click here to see the answers to these questions.
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