Rain In A Jar

We have a new feature here at Nature Center Magazine called Nature Craft. This will be a series of fun and easy little projects that are nature related and can be done by just about anyone. For our first one, we will teach you how to make rain in a jar. This one will give us a good demonstration on how rain works.

First we are going to need a few things to make our rainstorm happen. These will only be a small collection of things that can be found around the house. This experiment requires an adult for some of the tricky work, but it's a fun one for kids too. This is fun for all ages, so let the kid in you shine.

What We Need

• Glass Jar with a Metal Lid.
• Saucepan
• Butter Knife
• Pot Holder
• Towel
• Around 1 Cup Of Water
• A Hammer
• A Nail
• A Few Ice Cubes
• Salt

How To Make Our Rainstorm

1. With the hammer and the nail, make 5 or 6 random dimples on the inside of the metal lid. Make sure you don't poke any holes through the lid. You only want to make bumps.
2. Put the jar on top of the towel. The towel is just to protect any surface from excess water, so you may or may not need it.
3. Put the butter knife in the jar. You do this to conduct heat away from the glass jar so it won't break when you put the hot water in.
4. Bring the cup of water to a boil in the saucepan.
5. Carefully pour the hot water into the jar.
6. Now use the pot holder to take the knife out of the jar. Be careful. The knife is hot.
7. Place the metal lid upside down on top of the jar. Make sure the jar is completely covered by the lid.
8. Place the ice cubes on the lid, as many as will fit. 
9. Pour a little bit of cold water onto the ice.
10. Sprinkle a pinch or two of salt on top of the ice. These last two will help the ice melt a little bit while making it even colder.

Now all you have to do is wait a few minutes and watch as drops of rain begin to fall inside your jar.

Explanation
A rainstorm happens when a mass of cold air comes into contact with a mass of warm air. Moisture from the warm air is pushed up to form clouds. As the moisture gets too heavy, it falls back down in the form of rain.
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