ice cube melting science experiment

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Classroom Activity

Melting ice experiment.

In this activity, students will predict, observe, and compare melt rates of ice under different temperature conditions and in different solutions.

Cool and warm water

Ice cubes (4-6 per group, uniform size and shape)

Food coloring

Thermometers

Colander, mesh strainer, or other similar device

Small bowls (2 per group)

Cloth or paper towels

(Optional) pitchers for pouring water

(Optional) basin for catching poured water

(Optional) funnels

• This activity requires flowing water. If available, a faucet with cold and warm water can be used. Otherwise, use pitchers with warm and cold water. However, note that the rate at which water is poured from a pitcher can vary greatly. Pouring through a funnel can help regulate the flow of water.
• Consider having towels on hand for cleaning up spills and splashes.
• Safety: Hot water can scald. Make sure students are using water that is below 110° F (43° C).
• Use the leftover water from this activity to water a plant or save it for another activity instead of dumping it down the drain.

The Greenland ice sheet is the second largest body of ice in the world right behind the Antarctic ice sheet. As the ice sheet melts, the water flows into the ocean, contributing to global sea level rise.

As glacier ice melts, some of the water can reach the ground below the ice, forming a river that channels glacier water into the ocean. As it flows into the ocean, this cold, fresh meltwater will rise above the warmer, salty ocean water because freshwater is less dense than salt water.

The rising cold water then draws in the warmer ocean water, melting the face of the glacier from the bottom up. This creates an overhang of ice, the edges of which will eventually break off in a process called calving, which quickly adds more ice to the ocean. As ocean waters warm, this calving process speeds up.

This narrated animation shows warm ocean water is melting glaciers from below, causing their edges to break off in a process called calving. Credit: NASA | Watch on YouTube

Understanding these different factors that contribute to Greenland's melting ice sheet is an important part of improving estimates of sea level rise. The Oceans Melting Greenland (OMG) mission was designed to help scientists do just that using a combination of water temperature probes, precise glacier elevation measurements, airborne marine gravity, and ship-based observations of the sea floor geometry. The mission, which ran from 2016 to 2022, provided a data set that scientists can now use to model ocean/ice interactions and improve estimates of global sea level rise.

Part 1: Still Water

Part 2: flowing water, part 3: salt and freshwater.

• Introduce or ask students what they know about glaciers, ice melt, and sea level rise. Consider using the lesson What’s Causing Sea-Level Rise? and having students read 10 Interesting Things About Glaciers from NASA's Climate Kids website prior to this activity. If necessary, remind students that glaciers are huge, long-lasting masses of ice sitting on landmasses that form over many years. Snow accumulates and compresses into glacier ice under the weight of newer layers of snowfall above. Glaciers are not to be confused with icebergs, which are large chunks of glaciers or ice sheets that have broken off and float freely in the ocean.

Fill one container with room-temperature water and a second container with hot water. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech | + Expand image

Place an ice cube in each container of water and time how long it takes the ice to melt. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech | + Expand image

• Ice cube placed in a dish of room temperature water
• Ice cube placed in a dish of hot water
• Ice cube placed under flowing room temperature water
• Ice cube placed under flowing hot water
• Fill one dish with room temperature water.
• Measure and record the temperature.
• Gently place an ice cube in the dish and record how long it takes for the ice cube to melt. There should be enough water in the dish so the ice cube floats.
• Measure and record the water temperature after the ice has melted.
• Repeat the procedure using hot water. These two steps can be done at the same time if students are able to monitor and record the melt time for both cubes of ice.
• Ask students to share their results and observations.

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech | + Expand image

• Mix water with food coloring and freeze into ice cubes (two per group or two as a class demo).
• Tell students they are going to add a colored ice cube to a saltwater solution and to a freshwater solution and allow the ice to fully melt. Ask them to make predictions about what will happen.
• In a clear beaker or plastic container, add 1 teaspoon of salt to 1 cup of water and stir until the salt is dissolved. Allow time for any water movement to stop.
• Pour the same amount of freshwater into a clear beaker or plastic container. Allow time for any water movement to stop.
• Gently add one ice cube to each container, taking care to not disturb the water too much.
• Have students observe each container and take notes. It may be helpful for students to place a white sheet of paper behind the containers to see more details.

The cup on the left (with blue food coloring) contained ice melted in a saltwater solution while the one on the right (with the red food coloring) contained ice melted in a freshwater solution. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech | + Expand image

• If necessary, explain to students that because one container has salt water, and one has freshwater, the less dense meltwater floats on salt water but has the same density and mixes with the freshwater.
• Connect this phenomenon to the movement of fresh meltwater from under a glacier into warm ocean water.
• Which ice cube melted fastest? Which melted slowest? How could these results be altered? Changing the flow rate and temperature of the water will change how quickly the ice melts.
• What do these results tell you about the melting of glaciers in different conditions? Currents of warm ocean water will melt glaciers faster than still water.
• What would happen to cold meltwater that flows out from under a glacier into salty ocean water? The freshwater will rise because of its lower density, drawing in warmer ocean water against the face of the glacier.
• Students should accurately measure and record temperature and melt times.
• High school chemistry students should accurately calculate what the final temperature of the water in the containers will be in Part 1 by using specific heat capacity.
• Ask students to investigate whether ice exposed to warm or room temperature air would melt more quickly or more slowly than ice exposed to still or flowing warm or room temperature water.
• Lower elementary: Ask students to predict what would happen if some of the water was removed from the containers in Part 1 and placed in the freezer. Freeze some of the water to confirm their predictions.
• Upper elementary: Remove some of the salt water from Part 3 and place it on a flat, non-porous surface to dry. Ask students to predict what will happen when the water evaporates. Repeat the process with freshwater. Allow water to dry overnight and compare predictions to observations of what occurred.
• Middle school: Ask students to draw or describe the changes in particle motion, temperature, and state(s) of matter at the beginning and end of their observations.
• High school: Using the known masses and temperatures of the ice cubes and water in Part 1, have students calculate the final temperature of the water in the room temperature bowl and the hot water bowl using the formula m 1 CΔT 1  = m 2 CΔT 2 . Then, have them compare their calculations to observed results.

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July 24, 2014

What Makes Ice Melt Fastest?

A chemistry challenge from Science Buddies

By Science Buddies

Key concepts Water Ice Chemistry Solutions Phases of matter   Introduction Do you sometimes dump ice cubes into a drink to help keep cool on a hot summer day? Have you ever watched the ice cubes melt and wondered how you could make them melt more slowly—or even faster? In this science activity you will get to try some different, common household substances to try and answer this question: What will help a solid ice cube turn into a liquid puddle the fastest?   Background Temperature isn't the only thing that affects how a liquid freezes—and melts. If you've ever made homemade ice cream the old-fashioned way using a hand-crank machine, you probably know that you need ice and salt to freeze the cream mixture. Similarly, if you live in a cold climate, you've probably seen the trucks that salt and sand the streets after a snowfall to prevent ice from building up on the roads. In both of these instances salt is lowering the freezing point of water, which means that the water needs to be colder to turn from liquid into ice. For the ice cream maker, the temperature of the ice–salt mixture can get much lower than if just using normal ice, and this makes it possible to freeze the ice cream mixture. For the salt spread on streets, lowering the freezing point means that ice can melt even when the outdoor temperature is below water’s freezing point. Both of these events demonstrate “freezing point depression.”   Salt mixed with water is an example of a chemical solution. In a solution there is a solute (salt in this example) that gets dissolved in a solvent (water in this case). When other substances are mixed with water they may also lower its freezing point. In this science activity you'll investigate how salt, sand and sugar affect water's freezing point.   Materials

Four ice cubes (They should all be the same size and shape.)

Four drinking glasses (They should all be identical.)

One-quarter teaspoon measuring spoon

  Preparation

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Prepare (or purchase) some ice cubes if you do not have any ready. They should all be the same size and shape.

Into each drinking glass place one ice cube. Make sure the ice cube is oriented the same way in each glass. (Tip: If you are using ice cubes from a tray, it helps to let the tray sit at room temperature for about five minutes so that the ice cubes more easily come out of the tray cups and do not break into pieces.)

Carefully sprinkle one-quarter teaspoon (tsp.) of salt over the ice cube in one drinking glass. Then sprinkle one-quarter tsp. of sugar over the cube in another glass and one-quarter tsp. of sand over the ice in the third. Do not sprinkle anything over the ice cube in the fourth glass. (It will be your control.) How do you think the salt, sugar and sand will affect how quickly the ice cubes melt?

Set the drinking glasses aside somewhere indoors, out of direct sunlight.

Watch the ice cubes over time, checking on them every five to 10 minutes. After around 30 minutes, which cube has melted the most? Which is the first one to melt completely? Which is the last?

Overall, how do you think added salt, sugar or sand affects how quickly the ice melts? Can you explain why this might be?

Extra: You could try this activity at different temperatures, such as in the refrigerator or outside on a hot day. How does adding salt, sugar or sand to the cubes affect how quickly they melt when exposed to a hotter or colder environment?

Extra: In this activity you used one-quarter tsp. of each substance, but you could try adding more or less. Does the melting rate depend on the amount of the substance added?

Extra: Identify some other substances to test on the ice cubes. Do other substances help melt the cubes more quickly or do they end up melting more slowly?

 [break] Observations and results Did the ice cube sprinkled with table salt melt the fastest?   In this activity you tried adding salt, sugar or sand to ice to see whether the substance would help melt the ice. In other words, you wanted to test whether these substances could demonstrate freezing point depression, or the lowering of the ice's freezing point so that it melted into a liquid at a lower temperature than normal. You should have seen that the ice cube with salt sprinkled on it melted faster than any of the other cubes. This is because the amount by which the freezing point is lowered depends on the number of molecules dissolved, but not their chemical nature. (This is an example of what's called a "colligative property.") In the same volume there are more molecules of salt than there are of sugar or sand because the chemical components that make up the salt are much smaller than the sugar or sand.   Cleanup Be sure not to pour the sand down a sink drain or garbage disposal! Instead, throw out the damp sand outside or in a trash can.   More to explore Salt and Icy Roads , from Science Kids How Does Salt Melt Ice and Snow? , from Highlights What Makes Ice Melt Fastest? , from Science Buddies Make Ice Cream in a Bag , from Science Buddies

This activity brought to you in partnership with Science Buddies

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Science project, ice melting.

Have you ever watched an ice cube melt? The process of water contracting and expanding as it freezes and melts is a fascinating one. Perhaps you’ve noticed that the ice cubes in drinks melt faster if they are one shape rather than the other. Does it really make a difference what shape the ice cube is? The surface area of an ice cube takes on heat from the room, assuming the room is above freezing, and causes the ice to melt.  How can you make an ice cube melt faster? How can you make it melt more slowly?

Will the shape of an ice cube impact how fast the ice melts?

• Cube-shaped ice tray
• Crescent-shaped ice tray
• Rectangle-shaped ice tray
• 3 clear plastic cups
• Small clock with minute and second hands
• Measure 2 tablespoons of water into each ice tray. This will create 3 different types of ice cubes with the same amount of water, but different shapes. You may want to make extras so you can try different hypothesis.
• Place the ice trays in the freezer and allow water to freeze for several hours or overnight.
• Line up three clear plastic cups on the table or counter. They should be in a place where you can observe them easily.
• Remove the ice from the freezer and place one of each shape of ice cube into a plastic cup.
• Think about what you know about surface area. What do you think will happen if you create an ice cube that is flat and wide? Which ice cube shape do you think will melt the quickest? Write down your hypothesis, or what you think will happen during the experiment.
• Keep track of the ice in five minute increments. Jot down in a notebook how quickly each shape melts.
• Write down the time it takes each ice cube to melt completely.

The larger the surface area of the ice cube the more heat it absorbs, so the spherical ice cube will melt the slowest if it has the least surface area.

The shape of the rectangular ice cube is the flattest and has the most surface area. This means that heat will be absorbed over a larger area and thus the ice cube will melt faster. A crescent-shaped cube will melt the slowest.

The experiment proves that the amount of surface area makes the ice cube melt faster, but what if you tried different ways to melt the ice cubes? Repeat this experiment by trying techniques like melting the ice cubes in hot water. Seek an adult’s help when using hot water. Do you think the results will vary? Create a new hypothesis each time you try new techniques to melt the cubes and see if you are right in what you’ve guessed. Once you’re finished, you’ll be able to decide which ice cubes will keep your drinks cold the longest.

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What Makes Ice Melt Faster?

What makes ice melt faster? Let’s investigate with a simple ice melting experiment that kids of varying ages can enjoy. We love simple science experiments for kids!

Ice Melting Experiments

Let’s get right to learning all about ice. Head to the kitchen, open the freezer and be prepared to experiment with these different ice projects. Learn about lowered freezing points, freezing depression points, and more!

Grade Level: Suitable for Kindergarten through 3rd Grade

💡 Of course, you should also make ice cream in a bag or a slushie in a bag to explore these concepts further!

FREE PRINTABLE ICE MELTING WORKSHEETS!

PROJECT #1: What Makes Ice Melt Faster?

In this experiment, you will investigate what makes ice melt faster, by adding several different solids to your ice. Make sure to use the scientific method and pick variables for this project.

• Muffin tin, jars, or containers
• Various solids. You can start with table salt and sugar, but also include different types of salt, baking soda, sand or dirt etc.
• Stopwatch or clock to determine the time of the experiment

MELTING ICE SET UP:

STEP 1: Add 4 to 5 ice cubes to 6 cupcake cups. Make sure the same amount of ice is in each one.

STEP 2:  Add 3 tablespoons of each solid to a separate container of ice. 

• Add 3 tablespoons of baking soda to cup #1.
• Add 3 tablespoons of salt to cup #2.
• Add 3 tablespoons of sand to cup #3.

Cup #4, cup #5 and cup #6 are your controls and will have nothing added to the ice.

STEP 3: Set the timer to check back on the ice cubes every 10 minutes over 1/2 hour and record your results. Then draw your conclusions.

What did you find caused the ice to melt fastest?

EXTENSION: Use a timer to record how long each material took to melt the ice. Record the results. Try adding solids of your own choice and record that data, too. Now, turn the data into a graph!

Why Does Salt (NaCl) Melt Ice?

Unsurprisingly, adding salt (sodium chloride or NaCl) made the ice melt fastest. Baking soda was second as it’s a type of salt and can lower the freezing point of water. However, it is a powder. Sand did not do much! So why does salt melt ice?

Salt lowers water’s freezing or melting point. It interferes with ice crystals, and by mixing with the liquid water on the melting ice, it speeds up the melting process. This is also called a lowered freezing point.

💡 Read more about the Freezing Point Depression below.

PROJECT #2: How Quickly Can You Melt Ice?

In this experiment, you will explore how quickly you can melt a pile of ice cubes! At what temperature does ice melt? Read on to learn more!

The challenge is to see how quickly you can melt the ice cubes. This can be done individually or in small groups. If you choose to use the small group format, make sure to allow a few minutes for the kids to brainstorm ideas together.

• Paper towels
• Optional: Table Salt (sodium chloride, NaCl), Cloth, Paper, Small Plastic Food Containers

EXPERIMENT SET UP:

STEP 1: Give each kiddo or group of kids the materials, including paper towels and a specific number of ice cubes on a plate.

STEP 2: Encourage the kids to use the materials to try and melt the ice quickly!

STEP 3: When the race is over (set a specific amount of time that works for you), ask groups to share the steps of their melting process. Discuss what worked and why. Also, discuss what you would do differently the next time!

EXTENSION: Use a timer and record how long it took each kiddo or group of kids to melt the ice. Record the results. Try two more times and record that data. Now, turn the data into a graph!

Freezing Point Depression

Freezing point depression explains why adding something to a liquid, like salt to water, can cause it to freeze at a lower temperature than it usually would (lowered freezing point).

Here’s an example to help you understand: Think about plain water. It freezes and turns into ice at 32°F (0°C). But if you add salt (sodium chloride) to the water, the freezing point drops. The water now has to be even colder than 32°F to freeze! This is why salt is often spread on icy roads in winter – it helps melt the ice by lowering the water’s freezing point.

💡The salt and water, when mixed, become a chemical solution!

In simple terms, Adding certain substances (like salt) to a liquid makes it harder for that liquid to freeze!

Ice at the freezing point of water has less energy or heat than water at the same temperature!

Learn about the freezing point of water with our freezing water experiment .

More Ways to Melt Ice Cubes

There are many possible ways to melt ice. The simplest way is just to leave the ice to melt at room temperature. The heat energy in the warmer room works to break up the ice structure to turn it to water. We see this all the time with the ice cubes in our drink glasses or if we accidentally leave one out on the counter.

You could hold the ice cube in your hand (brrr, chilly) to speed up the melting process since your body is usually warmer than the room. To make it melt even faster this way, try rubbing your hands together really fast before holding the ice cube. Rubbing your hands together quickly creates friction, which adds more heat through an increased temperature!

Another way to generate more heat and a higher temperature is to rub the ice cube on a piece of cloth.

How about placing the ice cube on a dark piece of cloth or paper and placing it in sunlight? Dark colors retain heat from sunlight better than light colors, so you might feel hotter wearing a dark T-shirt in the middle of a hot summer day!

💡Learn more about Heat Absorption here.

PROJECT #3: How Do You Keep Ice From Melting?

In this third experiment, you will investigate how to keep ice from melting. Instead of seeing how fast ice melts, let’s try to keep it cool instead!

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Blubber Experiment

The challenge is to see how slowly you can keep the ice from melting by reducing the amount of heat or energy that surrounds the ice. This can also be done individually or in small groups. Remember, if you do choose to use the small group format, make sure to allow for time for the kids to brainstorm ideas together.

• Small zip-top bags
• Small plastic containers (as close to the same size as possible so they are uniform)

SUGGESTED ITEMS:

There are quite a few items that can be potentially used for this ice STEM challenge! Check out the recycling bin, junk drawer, garage, and more. This is also where our dollar store engineering kit comes in handy. You can use the items you have available for a budget-friendly STEM challenge.

• Aluminum foil
• Packing peanuts
• Cotton balls
• Styrofoam chunks
• Straw or hay
• Napkins or paper towels
• Wrapping paper or tissue paper
• Bubble wrap
• Plastic wrap
• Rubber bands

STEP 1: Brainstorm. What are the best materials available to keep the ice from melting?

STEP 2: Decide what materials or combination of materials you want to use to keep your ice cubes from melting by insulating them! Create one or more insulated containers to test your ideas. You can choose a specific amount of time for this portion of the project or split the STEM challenge up over several days.

STEP 3: When all the insulated containers are finished, place an ice cube in a small zip-top plastic bag and then place it in the insulated container. Make sure to put the lids on!

TIP: As a control, you will want to place a zip-top bag, with an ice cube into it, in a similar container that is not insulated. This control container is for comparison. By creating a control, you make it possible to determine whether the materials (variables) you chose are responsible for the outcome!

STEP 4: Place all the containers in a cool dry place away from a heat source or direct sunlight. No extra energy is needed here!

STEP 5: Check your containers every 10 minutes. Notice any differences Record your o0bservationsuntil all of the ice is completely melted. Make sure you do not handle the ice or remove the ice from the container while you make your observations.

Think about what materials worked best and why. How can you improve your results?

EXTENSION: Choose one thing to change (a variable) such as a smaller or larger container or a larger or smaller ice cube.

TALK ABOUT IT: A great discussion topic would be to talk about where insulation is used in our homes or in machines such as cars?

Quick Ice Science

Everyone knows that when you remove ice from the freezer, it will melt over time. However, most of us don’t think about why it happens. The air around the ice cubes is usually warmer than the ice and it causes the ice (solid) to change into water (liquid). States of matter too!

So, if you do not want the ice to melt, you need to keep the warm air (heat energy) away from the ice by using an insulating material. Some great insulators just for a hint are felt, newspaper, and wool. Insulation prevents the transfer of heat to the ice so the ice crystals stay icy and cold longer.

Insulation is also used to keep our houses warm in the winter in cold parts of the world by keeping the cold out! Additionally, insulation can keep the heat out of a house on a hot day too! Insulation can keep up comfortably when the temperature drops and when it rises!

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• Pingback: 40+ Creative & Easy Ways to Play with Ice - HAPPY TODDLER PLAYTIME

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