Rain Snow Hail Production Science Project Idea

How Rain, Snow, and Hail are Formed

In a cloud or a fog the water particles are so small that they will remain suspended in the air for a long time. The small globules of water in a cloud are either prevented from falling below the base of the cloud by upward currents of air, or by passing into a part of the air where the conditions of temperature and moisture are such that the globules . Of water will be changed back into invisible water vapor.

As the amount of water, however, in a cloud increases by the changing of a greater quantity. Of vapor into globules of water (condensation), the small globules combine to form drops of water which fall to the earth as rain. The change from small globules to large drops 'may be illustrated by the following experiment:

Precipitation Science Project Experiment

Cover with a metal lid a large beaker glass containing about an inch of water. Gradually heat the beaker glass with a Bunsen burner. Note results.

If the temperature of the air at the time of condensation is below the freezing point, the moisture crystallizes into snowflakes. If raindrops are frozen into little balls in their passage through the air, they become hailstones. Hail is usually formed in summer, and is probably caused by currents of air carrying the raindrops to such a height that they are frozen and sometimes have formed on them a layer of snow. Split hailstones will frequently show several layers of ice and snow, indicating that they have been carried up a number of times before finally falling to the earth.