Science Smarts: The science of storm clouds

By PATTY ROOKS on July 17, 2021.

With summer come some pretty amazing thunderstorms. At night this past week, I have heard the rumbles and growls of thunder off in the distance. Unfortunately, these loud storms and the rain with them just never make it to my house these days! Nonetheless, as I lay awake at night, I begin to wonder how these thunderstorms develop. Let’s get started!

Remember to ask an adult before doing this experiment.

Materials

• Clear, long rectangular container

• Warm tap water

• Red food colouring

• Blue food colouring

• Glass

• Stirring spoon

• Freezer

• Ice cube trays

Procedure

• Make some blue ice cubes by mixing some blue food colouring with tap water and pouring into ice cube molds.

• Place in the freezer for several hours until COMPLETELY frozen.

• Fill the clear plastic container about ¾ full of warm tap water. Place it on a sturdy table to work.

• Allow the water to settle after you place it on the table.

• Add one blue ice cube to one end of the container.

• At the other end of the container pace three or four drops of food colouring in the water.

• Observe.

What is going on?

You should have observed that as the ice cube melts, the cold water released from it sinks to the bottom of the container. On the other hand, the red food colouring should have floated up or it will rise in the container. In this experiment the blue water is representing the cold air that is present when a thunderstorm, begins to form. The red water on the other hand is the warm, often unstable air mass. You will also observe how these two colours begin floating towards one another. This is just how it would happen in the sky. When these two different temperature masses meet in the air, they usually producing those loud thunderstorms we see.

Do not forget to get your applications in for the APAR Initiative STEM and Leadership Cohort for 2021-2022. Praxis only has a few spots left and the deadline is fast approaching for this great opportunity for females in Grades 6-9.

Patty Rooks, Senior Scientific Consultant PRAXIS, “Connecting Science To The Community”. Contact Praxis at praxis@praxismh.ca, http://www.praxismh.ca, Tweet or follow us @PraxisMedHat, or friend us on Facebook. Visit us at: #12 826 11 Street S. E., Medicine Hat, Alberta, T1A 1T7 Phone: 403-527-5365, email: praxis@praxismh.ca.

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