Michael Strong asks four-year-old Alana questions about where water goes when it boils. She expects it to stay put, like when eggs boil, but watches it disappear. Through his questions, she figures out it becomes steam and connects it to clouds.
Good, how are you?
I'm well. Let's see if my camera works. For some reason my camera does not seem to be working.
Ours either.
But you can hear me, right?
Yes, I can.
Is it okay if we try it without a camera, or do you want me to restart my computer and try to get my camera to work?
Well, it's okay if you— if we don't have a camera.
Okay, well, we can see you and you are the star of the show.
I know.
So how are you? How was your week, Alana?
Good. How was your week?
My week was great, thank you very much. I understand that you did an experiment with your father and mother.
I did the experiment that I needed to do and it went down.
It went down? Tell us what went down exactly.
The water.
So because not everybody watched us last week, um, can you explain a little bit more about what water went down and why, and why we were thinking about that?
Sure. Well, I did it. My mom did a video on her camera because I wanted to pretend that I was on YouTube.
That's wonderful. So, um, you, you were— we had talked about ice, so let's back up. Um, what happens? How does water turn into ice?
Because of the coldness.
Okay, and then we wondered what happens if water gets hot, right?
Yes, that's because of the sun.
Water gets hot in the sun?
Yes, it does. So it melts in the sun too. Water melts in the sun.
Oh, ice melts.
Yeah.
So Yesterday, I want you to see if we can have you describe the experiment. What did you do with water yesterday?
Well, I put some water in a pot, like 1 inch, and then I put it on the stove, and it started boiling.
And you predicted that the water level would not change, is that correct?
Yes.
Why did you think that?
Well, whenever we cook eggs and boil them, the water stays up, maybe.
Oh, so you thought the water level would not change because When you boil eggs, the water stays there. Is that right?
Yes.
So what happened this time?
It didn't.
Did the water get lower and lower in the pan?
Yes. Yes. And it went down to the bottom.
Did it almost disappear entirely?
Well, maybe it disappeared.
So why do you think the water disappeared? Was that just magic?
No.
So why?
Because it was melting. It's because of its melting down from the heatness.
So the heat makes the water in the pan melt?
Yes.
So where does the water go?
Uh, In rivers and ponds.
No, no, but the water that was in the pan, did it like go—
No, no, it was in a pot.
Okay, so the water in the pot, where did it go when it disappeared from the pot?
Down to the bottom.
But if you had, say, a cup of water and at the end you had no water, did that cup of water just completely miraculously disappear?
Yes, that was funny.
So you think that's strange, the water can just disappear like magic?
Uh, I don't think so.
Okay, so let's go back to the, the eggs. Why do you think water does not disappear when you boil eggs in water?
Because eggs, eggs are a little easier When you cook them and so it doesn't go down.
So you think that there's something about the eggs that keeps the water from going down?
Yes.
Okay. Do you know what steam is?
Yes, it's like water coming up.
So do you think that maybe the water that was boiling turned into steam?
Yes.
Do you think that all the water that disappeared could have gone into the air as steam?
Yes, maybe.
So where do you think the steam is going?
Um, it's going up in the air.
So do you think right this second, if you look up at the ceiling, that you'll see a whole bunch of steam up there?
Maybe.
Do you see any steam?
No, but I'm not in the house.
Oh, but if you—
I'm not in the house.
I see.
I mean, I'm in my— I'm in my— yeah, I'm in the park.
Do you think if you looked in the house there would be steam in this near the ceiling?
No.
Why not?
Because I didn't see.
So where do you think the steam went?
Up in the air.
So you can see it coming off the pan, but then it goes somewhere up in the air and just disappears?
Yeah.
Okay.
Or maybe it's just clouds. Maybe it just makes more clouds.
You think the steam might make more clouds?
Yes.
And that's an interesting hypothesis. Do you know what a hypothesis is?
Yes, like when you're doing an experiment and your hypothesis, it will stay where it is or stay or gonna go down.
So you have a hypothesis that maybe the steam goes up and turns into clouds?
Yes, maybe.
Why do you think that might be the case?
Cause steam is white and clouds are white.
Um, do you know what cotton candy is?
No.
You don't know what cotton candy is?
Yes, I don't.
Sometimes if you go to sometimes fairs, there is candy that looks like cotton, all puffy and white.
Yeah.
And maybe, what if the clouds are cotton candy? Do you think the clouds are cotton candy?
No, they're just moisture.
How do you know that?
Because my mom told me.
Oh, okay. Have you gone in airplanes?
Yes, I have a lot of times.
Have you ever flown through clouds as you go through the airplane, go on the airplane?
No. No.
So next time you're on an airplane, on a sunny day you don't fly through clouds, but sometimes on airplanes you fly through clouds.
Like, yeah, like in Madagascar, they float through clouds.
Yep. So then you can try to figure out what clouds are, but your mom says they're moisture, and you're thinking that's where the steam goes, is up to make more clouds. That's your hypothesis.
Yes.
So if the water in the pan disappears, do you think all of that water actually went into steam and that steam is somewhere, like up in the clouds?
Maybe it's somewhere up in the clouds.
Do you think that things can disappear entirely without turning into something else, or does everything turn into something else if it disappears?
Well— I don't know if it does that.
I bet you've seen some kind of cartoon where there is magic and something just disappears.
I haven't.
You haven't?
Yes, I haven't.
Have you seen a magician where somebody, say, makes a rabbit or a pigeon disappear?
No, but I only seen one in papers.
So do you think people can really make things disappear?
Yes.
How do they do it?
By magic, with their magic wands. Pew!
Pew! I see. Have you ever met anybody who has that kind of magic?
Nope.
Okay, so how did you know then that the water wasn't magically disappearing? Maybe when you looked at the water, you made it magically disappear.
Yes, but I didn't have a magic wand.
I see, so you know for a fact that you did not do any magic on that water?
Yes, I didn't.
Okay, um, are you pretty sure that the heat is what made the water boil away?
Yes.
What makes you believe that?
Because it's Evaporates.
But how do you know that the heat is what caused it?
Um, I don't know.
Okay, okay. Well, do you think the water would evaporate if you did not put heat under it?
I don't, I don't know about that because that would be Crazy.
Okay, well, I think this is another interesting experiment, is let's see what happens if water just sits out and see if it disappears over a week or so.
Okay.
Okay, I think you're tired. Are you pretty tired today?
Nope, but I was just yawning. Okay, okay, because, because these nights I just woke up, I mean, my My mom and dad put me to sleep really late.
They told you to sleep late? And did you sleep late?
No, no, they just kept me up late.
I see. Well, do you like doing experiments?
Yes, I do.
Why?
Because they help me figure out what happens when I do them.
Do you like to discover what happens when you do things?
Yes.
Okay. Okay, Will, can you ask your parents about an experiment to see what happens if, with water, to see if water will evaporate without being on the burner?
Okay.
Okay? And next week I'll try to get my camera to work so we can see each other again. Okay?
Okay.
Okay, I'm waving goodbye, but you can't see me. So goodbye, Alana. Have a good week. Bye-bye.
Have a good week to you too.
Thank you.
Bye.
