Let it Snow!

Science experiments are fun! Here’s a great weather experiment making snow with hot water.

What you’ll need:

• a cold, dry day near or below 0° Fahrenheit
• a cup, preferably with a handle
• boiling tap water

Procedure:

• Heat some water to boiling. A microwave is good for this as you can heat the water in the cup.
• Go outside on a cold, dry day with temperatures near 0° Fahrenheit.
• Hold the cup tightly. With a large motion, toss the water at an angle away from you high into the air. Be careful not to toss the water straight up.
• Watch carefully as the water turns to snow and falls to the ground.

Explanation:

• The colder the air, the faster the freezing.
• The dryer the air, the faster water evaporates.
• Hot water evaporates more quickly than cold water.
• Evaporation causes a cooling effect which makes water freeze more quickly.
• Snow forms when tiny droplets of water freeze in the air.

Tips for best results:

• Make sure it’s a very cold, dry day. The catch is, when its cold enough to do this experiment, your pipes might be frozen!
• Use hot water! Hot water evaporates more quickly, so the cold air can freeze it faster.
• Throw the water up as far as you can, so the water has time to freeze on the way down.
• Use tap water, because it has the correct impurities to make it freeze, while distilled water is too pure. Ice crystals form around impurities. Tap water has more impurities, thus more crystals form.Have Fun!