We had a great time at science club yesterday using ice! First, we investigated whether sugar, salt or pepper would melt the ice the quickest. After making our predictions, we put it to the test.
While we waited to take our observations, we had a go at another challenge. All we needed was some thread and an ice cube. We started by pulling the thread tight over the ice cube to see what we observed. Soon, we noticed that the ice was starting to melt where the thread was. Some of the children realised that the thread rubbing on the ice was making friction and was heating up the ice. The next challenge was to see if we could cut the ice cubes with the thread. We predicted that moving the thread back and forth would cut the ice quicker.
Finally, we went back to our first investigation and noticed the salt had made the ice melt quicker. We discussed how the salt lowered the melting point of the ice making it melt quicker. We could link our learning to spreading salt on the paths when it is icy. Our last experiment showed how the salt melts the ice and the trails it makes. We used food colouring to show how the ice was melting.
