Instant Ice: Winter Science Experiment for Kids
My kids love science projects that involve something that looks just a bit like magic. We’ve had a lot of fun making glow-in-the-dark projects, flying projects, and anything that has a “wow” factor. This winter, we resolved to try and make instant ice. We knew the project could be a bit tricky, but we didn’t have any problems with it at all! The experiment turned out just as it ought to, which is always a great feeling!
Watch ice form before your very eyes in this fun science experiment!
You’ll need just a few things for this project:
- Water bottles (we used a dozen, just in case!)
Place 6-12 water bottles in your freezer (or you can do it outside, but the temperature is less predictable out there). Lay them flat on their sides rather than upright. For some reason, they freeze better this way. If your kids want to experiment, place some upright and some on their sides and see which one works best!
Cool the water for about two to two and a half hours. At the two hour mark, take out one bottle and test it. If you can slam it on the counter and nothing forms, the water isn’t cool enough yet. When you get one that hardens, it is ready to go, but you’ll have to work quickly!
Turn bowl upside down over a towel (to catch the spills) and place a large ice cube on the bowl.
Carefully pour the water slowly onto the ice cube.
The water will create a column of frozen ice!
In about 20 seconds, the water will get too warm for this trick to work. But you can repeat it with all the water bottles you have!
Instant Ice Science Explained
The trick to this experiment is super-cooled water. You’re catching the water when it is cold enough to freeze, but hasn’t quite frozen yet. When ice freezes, the water forms small crystals that gradually spread. If you catch the cold water before the crystals have time to form, you can still pour out the water and it will freeze as you pour. Pouring it over an ice cube triggers crystals to form faster than they normally would.
You can get a similar effect by smashing a still-closed bottle of super-cooled water onto a hard surface. This triggers the crystals to form, instantly hardening the ice inside the bottle. The weather term for this process is called a “snap freeze.”
Ice Science Vocabulary
Celsius – Celsius (or “degrees Celsius”, or sometimes “Centigrade”) is a temperature scale. It is used to tell how hot or cold something is and is often written as °C. Water will freeze at 0°C and boil at 100°C
Fahrenheit – is also a temperature scale, typically used in the United States. We use it to tell how hot or cold something is. It is often written as °F. Water will freeze at 32°F and boil. at 212°F.
Snap-freeze – a term used to describe a process by which a scientific sample is lowered to temperatures below -70 °C, very quickly. This is often accomplished by submerging a sample in liquid nitrogen. This prevents water from crystalizing when it forms ice, and so better preserves the structure of the sample.
Liquid Nitrogen – Nitrogen turns liquid at -210 degrees Celsius or -346 degrees Fahrenheit. When nitrogen is liquid, it looks a lot like water.
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More fun science for kids:
- free-science-experiments
- hot-or-cold-ice
Hot Or Cold Ice
Hot or cold Ice?!?
Sounds like a crazy name for an experiment.
Of course, ice is always cold but in this experiment we’ll take a look at which freezes first hot or cold water?
What Do I Need?
- 2 identical cups (ideally plastic!)
How Do I Do It?
STEP1 - The setup for this experiment couldn’t be much simpler. All we need is two identical cups and some hot and cold water.
WARNING: For safety it’s best to use plastic cups as water gets a little bigger when it freezes which could cause a glass to shatter if you didn’t keep an eye on it.
STEP2 - Pour some hot water into one of your glasses and exactly the same amount of cold water into the other.
STEP3 - The idea in this experiment is to see which freezes first. The hot or the cold water. Which do you think? Make your prediction now!
STEP4 - To make sure that this is as fair a test as possible place the hot and cold cups of water close to one another in the same part of the freezer and time which one freezes first.
STEP5 - What?!!? Not what you thought?
STEP6 - If you got a different result to the one that you were expecting then the best thing to do is to repeat the experiment but with the hot and cold water in opposite positions. Do you still get the same result?
What’s Going On?
It’s very likely that you found that your hot water froze before your cold water did.
This doesn’t seem like it makes too much sense and that’s exactly why I wanted to include this simple but baffling experiment.
Sometimes hot water freezes faster than cold water and this is known as the Mpemba effect. There are many different variables that can cause this. One theory is that more of the hotter water evaporates first meaning that there is less water to freeze so it freezes more quickly.
Another theory is that the convection currents within the hot water are the cause. The truth is that we’re not really sure, which is why I thought this was the perfect experiment to include.
More Fun Please! - Experiment Like A Real Scientist!
- Do you find that that it’s the hot or the cold water that freezes first each time?
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18 Supercool Science Experiments with Ice
- July 25, 2020
- Science Experiments
Today, we are going to investigate something which is most familiar with our children i.e. ‘ICE’.
Ice can reveal many fundamentals of scientific principles through some simple and easy science experiments.
The main purpose of investigating these ice science activities is to explore the properties of solid, liquid, and gas at a time since ice can be altered to any form which makes learning properties of ice easy and hands-on.
Ice Science Experiments
So, hurry up to grab a tray of ice and chill out with our best collection of ice activities.
1. Glow in the Dark Ice Cubes Science Activity
Spice up your Halloween parties or events with simple and amazing science activity at your home!!
Glow the ice cubes in a bowl like a magic trick and amaze your family and friends!
The speciality of this science activity is sensory and edible science activity. Hurry up to light up your party night. Click here to get the details: Glow in the Dark Ice Cubes Science Activity
2. Lego Ice Excavation Science Experiment
Here is another easy, fun, and messy free science activity that will definitely bring a serious WOW expression on your kid’s face.
A great opportunity to learn about capacity and volumes for the kids while having great fun too.
Click on Lego Ice Excavation Science Experiment to know how to set up an ice excavation.
3. Instant Ice: Winter Science Experiment for Kids
Creating instant ice is more like a magic and fascinating for kids.
Even preschoolers enjoy watching magical outcome of the experiment!
Get the more details of this super cool experiment here Instant Ice: Winter Science Experiment for Kids.
4. Overflowing Ice Cube Experiment
Enjoy awesome hands-on science project that help kids learn about what really happens when an ice cube is added to a glass full of water.
Kids are able to watch and observe the intriguing results. Best demonstration to learn about density of water in hands-on way!
Does the water overflow or remain same when an ice cube is added to a glass full of water? Find out here Overflowing Ice Cube Experiment
5. Don’t Melt the Ice! Science Experiment for Kids
Keeping an ice cube from melting let kids learn about states of matter, heat properties, and which type of materials conduct good heat.
Kids feel more excited about how long they can keep an ice cube from melting with just some supplies around the home.
Click on Don’t Melt the Ice! Science Experiment for Kids
6. Ice Melt Faster Science Experiment
Looking for a great science fair project using ice!? Here is a spectacular science activity that works great as a science fair project allowing kids of 5-7 grades to present and explain their findings to the audience.
Want to know in which variable the ice cube melts faster? Click on Ice Melt Faster Science Experiment
7. Sticky Ice Science Experiment
Little magical experiment for 3-8 grades children challenging to lift an ice cube using only two ingredients!
Kids can challenge their friends to get the ice out of the bowl without getting their hands wet. Keeps children engaged and entertaining for hours!
Find the instructions step-by-step here: Sticky Ice Science Experiment
8. Fizzy Ice Sensory and Science Experiment
Spectacular science activity, easy to do with simple household items offers a great visual demonstration for pre-schoolers and older children about the physical properties of ice and water.
Enjoy the fizzy ice science experiment by manipulating the ice and water through hands-on.
What makes an ice cube fizzy and what is that magical trick behind it? Let us learn here: Fizzy Ice Sensory and Science Experiment
9. Make Ice Grow Science Experiment
Learning is a process of investigations and explorations! Children participating in this simple activity demonstrates this process of learning hands-on.
Click on Make Ice Grow Science Experiment
10. Painting on Ice Science Experiment
Make your kids super creative making their painting activities super fun and creative with this super cool science activity!
An awesome fun craft idea, a great indoor activity, and a fantastic sensory activity that is perfect for toddlers and pre-schoolers.
Want to know more about this creative art activity!? Read on: Painting on Ice Science Experiment
11. Spider Ice Melt Science Activity for Kids
If you are searching for a fun Halloween Science activity that will cool your bore-domed children, you have to try this awesome spider ice melt science experiment.
You can set up this activity in just few minutes with an easy spider theme along with a playful Halloween fun twist.
Spider Ice Melt Science Activit y for Kids
12. Frozen Baking Soda Ice Cubes Science Experiment
Frozen baking soda ice cubes are fun and brilliant idea to learn about the basic properties and its reaction of baking soda.
Hands-on experiment, easy to do, and messy free. Kid-friendly science activity perfect for a hot summer day!
Click on Frozen Baking Soda Ice Cubes Science Experiment to learn more.
13. Freezing and Melting Objects in Ice Science Experiment
Freezing and melting of ice happens at certain temperature changes and how long an ice can hold an object from freezing and melting!?
A great visual demonstration for the kids of all ages to learn about temperature changes and its impact on ice.
Start off with this wonderful experiment by learning the simple instructions step-by-step: Freezing and Melting Objects in Ice Science Experiment
14. Ice Water Vapor Science Experiment
Here is an excellent visual activity that demonstrates the basic principles of water vapour, water, and ice.
Get the more details about the experiment here: Ice Water Vapor Science Experiment
15. Hot Ice Science Experiment
Introduce kids to the idea of critical thinking and making predictions i.e. thoughtful guesswork about the end result of the experiment.
Amaze your kids with the magical tower built up using 2-3 ingredients in your own kitchen. Wonderful pre-school science experiment to watch and understand the simple science behind the outcome.
Check out the instructions here Hot Ice Science Experiment
16. Grow Your Own Ice Spikes Science Experiment
Great activity to grow ice crystals. Add some food color to make it interesting.
Read the complete instructions here: Grow Your Own Ice Spikes Science Experiment
17. Ice Cream in a Bag Science Experiment
Delicious science activity that you can do all year along whenever you wish. Great demonstration to learn about exothermic chemical reactions .
Want to know how this simple science activity works: Click on Ice Cream in a Bag Science Experiment
18. Rainbow Melting Ice Science Experiment
Rainbows are colorful and are great for playful pre-school theme!
Turn your kids boring playtime into a beautiful art science activity using vibrant and attractive colors. Kids will really enjoy this super cool activity.
Get the instructions: Rainbow Melting Ice Science Experiment
Cool the hot summer with these creative and unique science experiments in educational and fun way! All the experiments are simple, classic and the outcome is magic like! Give it a try and have a blast with these super fun science activities.
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