How do ice orbs form? Let’s find out with this icy experiment!
First we had to make some ice. So we just used regular tap water and filled these neat looking ice cubes. We let it freeze for a few hours and then our ice cubes were ready to be experimented with.
Supplies:
Ice
Sea Salt and/or Iodized Salt (we wanted to test if the different salt would make a difference in freezing points)
Food Coloring
Directions:
1: Take out the ice cubes and place them on a plate or tray.
2:Sprinkle the top with salt. (We used iodized salt on a few and sea salt on the others to see how they would melt the ice, if differently.)
3: Next, apply the food coloring on to the ice cube to be able to see where the water melted and crevices formed.
What does salt do to ice?
Salt lowers the freezing point of ice. So when you add salt to the ice cubes, you begin to see cracks and crevices as it melts. When you add in a drop of food coloring, you highlight the crevices.
A very simple experiment but it helps to explain why salt is used on the roads when it’s snowing outside or when there are icy roads.
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*Adult Supervision Is Required For All Activities*