Science Smarts: Let’s break the ice of winter

By Patty Rooks on November 5, 2022.

Winter is always a difficult season to welcome. Many of us dread the -40 C weather, the snow and ice this season brings with it. Instead of dreading the cold and icy weather, I thought it might be exciting to learn about ice as the cold weather of December bears down upon us this week.

*Remember to ask an adult before doing this experiment.

Materials

– ice cube tray

– water

– access to a freezer

– cooking oil

– tall, clear glass

– food colouring

– container to mix in

–

spoon or something to stir with

Procedure

1. Fill the container full of water.

2. Add a couple of drops of your favourite food colouring to the water. Stir well. Note: The colour should be quite dark.

3. Pour into the ice cube tray.

4. Place the ice cube tray in the freezer and allow the cubes to freeze solid. You may have to wait overnight.

5. Fill the glass approximately 3/4 full of oil.

6. Gently place one of the ice cubes in the glass.

7. Wait for the ice cube to start to melt.

8. What happens?

Explanation

When water freezes, it turns to ice. When water is in the form of ice, it takes up more space. Water in the form of ice is less dense than the oil, and as a result it will float on top of the oil. As the ice cube begins to melt, you will see that the water will begin to sink to the bottom of the glass. The oil will not mix with the melting water. This is because water in it’s liquid form is much more dense than oil and just sinks down into the glass.

For your chance to win January’s monthly prize of $200, remember to send your Science Challenge submissions in before the end of December. For ideas, rules and more information on the Science Challenge please visit the Praxis website @ http://www.telusplanet.net/public/mhpraxis or call (403) 527-5365. Please keep reading this column in the NEWS to see the winners for November!

Patty Rooks, Senior Scientific Consultant PRAXIS, “Connecting Science To The Community”. Contact Praxis at praxis@praxismh.ca, http://www.praxismedhat.com, Tweet or follow us @PraxisMedHat, or friend us on Facebook. Address: #12 826 11 Street S. E., Medicine Hat, Alberta, T1A 1T7 Phone: 403-527-5365, email: praxis@praxismh.ca.

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