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Title
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Energy and the Water Cycle
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Type
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Primary: Laboratory
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Operation
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Monster Storms
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Mission:
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Mission 2: The Plot Condenses
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Print Page
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35
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Subjects
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Science | Earth and space science | Cycles | Water cycle | Earth system structure | Atmosphere | Weather | Clouds | Precipitation | Science as inquiry | Science process skills | Experimenting | Modeling | Observing
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Grades
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5 | 6 | 7 | 8
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Keywords
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water cycle, hydrologic cycle, evaporation, precipitation, clouds, models, experiments, condensation, atmosphere, saltwater, freshwater, fresh water, salt water, ocean, Robbie Hood
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Audience
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Teachers | Elementary Grades | Junior High
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Created On
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5/19/2007
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Copyright
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Photo courtesy of NOAA Photo Library
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From: Monster Storms Mission 2: The Plot Condenses (pp: 35) |
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Energy and the Water Cycle The total amount of water on Earth has changed very little over the past billion years, so where does it all go? In this lab, students investigate how water moves through a cycle and find out what happens to the energy as water changes phase. |
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Robbie Hood uses her understanding of how the water cycle works on Earth to study monster storms. Recently, Robbie and her colleagues began an intense study of water cycles within hurricanes. They are using the ER-2 aircraft and satellites to explore water vapor, water, and ice within the convection of a hurricane.
If the total amount of water on Earth has changed very little over the past billion years, where does it all go? In this lab, you will see how water can move through a cycle and what happens to the energy as water changes phase.
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| Materials |
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- clear plastic or glass mixing bowl, medium or large
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- clean gravel (up to 3-cm diameter rocks)
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- clear kitchen plastic wrap
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- small plastic cup (yogurt or pudding cup)
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- dark colored paper or brown paper towels
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| Lab Prep |
Using the materials provided, build a model of the water cycle that will show evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. In your model you must have a “mountain” and an “ocean.” Your ocean must contain salt water. Follow these steps to build your model.
- Place the plastic cup in the bottom of the mixing bowl and anchor it with enough small rocks inside so that it will not float when water is added later to the bowl. Add gravel to the bowl to produce a mound around the outside of the cup. This is your “mountain.”
- Make a saltwater mixture and add it to the bowl, being careful to keep the water level below the rim of the cup. This is your “ocean.”
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. If necessary, use rubber bands to secure the plastic wrap to the rim of the bowl.
- Position the large rock on top of the plastic wrap, so that it is suspended directly above the plastic cup that sits inside the bowl. You can cover the rock with the cotton balls to simulate a cloud.
- Place the model in sunlight for at least a day and then observe the results.
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| Make Observations |
- What purpose does placing your model in the sunlight serve?
- Describe the parts of your model that illustrate the evaporation and the condensation processes.
- What happened to the water after it condensed?
- How did the plastic wrap act as the cold air in your “atmosphere”?
- What do you think would happen if you covered the bottom of the container with small plants and put the bowl in the sun? How would that change your results?
- Using two sheets of brown paper towel, soak one in the water that collects in the cup, and one in the water from the bowl. Let both towels dry and observe their appearance. What can you conclude about the salt content in the two water sources?
- In what ways did this activity accurately represent the water cycle?
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Journal Question
Considering the concern over global warming and the human contribution to it, what can we do to lower the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere? How could you find more information? How could you inform others of what you find? |
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