Craig sees a glass with ice tea sitting on the table. He notices that there is a great deal of moisture on the outside of the glass and a puddle of water on the table. He asks his family what they think causes the water to form on the outside of the glass. This is what they say...
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Mom:The water is from the air being too hot The air is sweating
Dad: I think there is a hole in the glass
Sister: The glass was wet before you poured the tea.
Grandma: The water vapor in the air turns into a liquid when it touches the cold glass WHOS RIGHT??
Grandmas are always right. :-)
Most likely grandma because its the most reasonable and if there was a hole in the glass then pretty much the glass would have broke. If the glass was wet before you poured the tea it wouldn't leave that much of a big puddle. Air doesn't sweat so mom is wrong.
To determine who is right among Craig's family members, let's analyze their explanations one by one:
1. Mom: According to her explanation, the water is caused by the air being too hot, and the air is sweating. While it is true that warm air can hold more moisture, causing condensation when it comes into contact with a cold surface like the glass, using the term "sweating" to describe the action of the air is not scientifically accurate. Therefore, this explanation is partially correct but not entirely accurate.
2. Dad: According to his explanation, there is a hole in the glass. However, if there were a hole in the glass, the tea would leak out rather than causing water to form on the outside of the glass. Therefore, this explanation is not correct.
3. Sister: Her explanation suggests that the glass was wet before pouring the tea. If the glass was already wet, then it is possible that the water on the outside of the glass and the puddle on the table are simply due to the water being spilled or left from a previous use. This explanation could be plausible if the glass was indeed wet before pouring the tea, but it does not explain why there is moisture on the outside of the glass while it is in use.
4. Grandma: Her explanation suggests that the water vapor in the air turns into a liquid when it touches the cold glass. This explanation aligns with the scientific process of condensation. When warm, moist air comes into contact with a cold surface, such as the glass filled with ice tea, the water vapor in the air loses heat and condenses into liquid water droplets. Therefore, Grandma's explanation is correct.
In conclusion, among Craig's family members, Grandma's explanation is the most accurate. The water vapor in the air turning into a liquid through condensation is the reason why water forms on the outside of the glass when it is filled with ice tea.