What’s In The Rain?

MATERIALS:
container to collect water
funnel
sticky tape
filter paper
evaporating dish
microscope

PROCESS:
Place the clean and dry container outside on a rainy day. Make sure its away from trees or buildings and collect for a couple of hours.

Then bring the container inside and carefully strain the water collected through a filter paper in a funnel. Make sure to save the excess liquid.

Dry the filter paper in an oven at 100°C for at least 15 minutes to evaporate the water.

Pour the excess liquid that you saved into the evaporating dish. You will be able to see the particles that passed through the filter paper when the liquid has evaporated.

Take a piece of sticky tape and place it face down in the evaporating dish.

Remove it and place the tape sticky side down on a glass microscope slide.

View the particles through the microscope. Try to identify the particles you have collected.

EXPLANATION:
Particles are often suspended in the air for several days until they drop to the ground or are washed out by rain. Some of the items that may have been collected include insects, dirt, seeds and leaves.