Salty Ice Experiment

This cool salty ice experiment shows how you can make an ice cube melt quickly by lowering the freezing temperature.

 

What you need:

• 2 ice cubes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 bowls

How to Melt an Ice Cube Quickly:

Place one ice cube in each bowl.

Sprinkle the salt onto one of the ice cubes. Leave the other ice cube along.

Watch the ice cubes melt. Which one melts first?

How long does it take for the ice to melt?

 

How does this work?

Water usually has a freezing temperature of 0˚C (32˚F) but when you add the salt, it lowers this temperature. This means that to stay frozen, instead of having a temperature of 0˚C (32˚F), it now needs to have a much colder (lower) temperature. Due to sitting at room temperature this is not possible, so the ice melts. The one with the salt melts quicker.