How do you catch steam?

Answer 1

Steam rises when heated air meets colder air. However, steam as a vapor is continually cooling and dissipating (e.g. thinning out until it is invisible). So you cannot "catch" steam. The only way you could possibly catch steam is to control the temperature on both sides--- the heated and cooler side---which would be difficult to do or maintain without sophisticated equipment.

A science experiment:

Ask permission from an adult first!

You'll need:

1. a jar with a lid
2. a stop watch
3. warm clothes and coat
4. cold outside temperatures -- cold enough that "vapor" comes from your mouth when you breathe out
5. assistance from an adult

Dress warmly, and go outside with an adult, a jar with lid, and the stop watch. Have the adult help you with the glass jar so you don't drop it. Press the stop watch so it starts. Breathe out so the mist goes directly into the jar. Time how long it takes until you cannot see any more vapor inside the jar. Click the stop watch to OFF but don't erase the time yet. Go back inside to the warmth with your jar.

On paper, write down how long it took before you could not see the steam inside the jar. Write why you think the vapor went away so quickly. What do you think would happen if the glass was cooler at the time you start the experiment... try it (with an adult's help) !

Since vapor or steam contains water particles, what do you think you might see on the inside of the glass jar if the glass was cold to start but you brought it back into the warm house before all the vapor disappeared? If you see water particles, or condensation, form inside, you could get a tiny measuring spoon (such as 1/4th teaspoon size) and measure the amount of water droplets that formed. Or, cut two 3-inch narrow pieces of tissue paper---how much of the 3-inches gets wet when you touch it against the water droplets until there are no more droplets that you can see. Put the tissue paper on your notebook paper with a small piece of tape, and draw a line for how far the water went up to make the paper wet. (Use a second piece of tissue paper to collect more water from the jar.) Think about these results-- what questions it brings up, or the conclusions you can make from this experiment. Remember to show your teacher what you documented on paper.