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IS THIS LIKE A RAIN DANCE? People of the world who like to eat would like to make rain on a large enough scale to water their crops. Those people who don't like to eat probably like to swim or bathe. Every- body likes water for something, and in order to have water, we need to have rain. Do you think that if none of the world's water evaporated, the world would become water-logged and sink? Into what? Does any of you know about cloud-seeding? Here in the Great Central Valley of California (as well as some other places), clouds are "seeded" so that we will have sufficient rain for our crops. This valley is the world's "bread basket," and we need rain so we can feed all those who like to eat. Your brilliant writer does not know how to seed clouds, but they do something with airplanes and particles. Or something. Maybe you'd better find out about this, because it is pretty important to your lives. After you have seen how clouds can be formed, hold the flat bottom of an ice cube tray, slightly tilted, close to steam escaping from a boiling teakettle. (Caution: The steam is very hot. Steam burns are very serious.) Observe how the water droplets collect, enlarge, and drip off the edge of the tray because of their increasing weight. It should be noted that, although the formation of rain is not yet fully understood, scientists believe that droplets form upon minute particles in the air and continue to increase in size as water vapor cools. Repeat this activity using two ice cube trays -- one empty and one filled with ice cubes. As the moist air rises from the teakettle, it cools more rapidly against the filled tray and less rapidly against the empty tray. Take care to hold the trays at equal distances from the spout of the teakettle, and record the time taken for drops of "rain" to fall from each tray. Compare the times. Also relate your findings to actual events in the atmosphere.  Any problems with this page? Send URL to
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