water leaking out of plastic?

[pivoxa15]

Why is it that when I fill my plastic pure water drinkbottle with chili water from a drink tap, the whole bottle becomes a little wet even if I did not spill water onto the bottle?

[ZapperZ]

Condensation from the moisture in the air.

Zz.

[DaveC426913]

Mm. Gotta love that chili water.

[jasc15]

In my first junior high science class, my teacher asked us all that question. he played devil's advocate trying to convince us that it was leaking through the bottle. so we said "why does water, not juice, appear on a container thats filled with juice?", he responded by saying that only the water can pass through the container. Looking back on this, he was getting at a pretty good thing there. he made us explain something that we all intuitively knew (condensation) in a scientific way, rather than just by intuition.

[pallidin]

As stated, condensation is of course correct.
For a quick way to firm this up in your mind, instead of chilled water, put warm water(warmer than the ambient air temp) and note that the outside of the bottle stays dry.

[pivoxa15]

That is a nice explanation. I thought water leaking out of plastic was a bit suspect. I remember now that during camp in 9th grade, I asked why my tent was wet in the morning even though there hasn't been any rain during the night, a person answered condensation. I didn't have basic science knowledge at the time so didn't understand him. I don't think he explained it very well either as he was a student as well. 6 years later I meet this word again but understand it much better now. I am currently doing a thermodynamic subject as well.