Theory Thursday: Ice Melt

You know that empty space in the back of cabinets where two sets meet? Some people have a lazy susan in a corner cabinet. Others have a big cabinet off the back to utilize that space. We have a mini fridge there. It was in the house when we moved in, and we left it there. Since it's right next to our kitchen table and it's small, we keep our drinks in it. Once a year or so, the freezer portion builds up so much ice that the door will no longer close and we have to defrost it. We usually know when it's time when we walk into the kitchen and find a trail of water running through it. It goes something like this: 

Ugh, there's water everywhere! Who spilled something? . . . Oh, it's coming from the fridge. 

Who left the refrigerator door open???  . . . {push door closed. door pops open. push 

door closed. door pops open.} Aaaaah, the ice is built up again.

I grab towels to soak up the river trickling from the fridge across the kitchen and turn off the fridge. Later on, after it's had a chance to thaw a little, we (and when I say we, I mean Leighton) pull out the ice chunks and clean up the rest of the water.

Our yearly adventure happened a couple days ago. The dialogue was similar to the above. The events follows mirrored the example, as well. But as Leighton was opening the front door to throw the ice outside, I stopped him. We could turn this little inconvenience into a science lesson.

There was no major prep involved. There weren't lots of steps to take to reach the outcome. There wasn't even anything to make a huge mess. 

We simply left the bucket filled with ice in the kitchen.

Exciting, I know.

I asked the kids what they thought would happen to the ice. They knew it would melt, but how much would be melted by morning? All? Some? Here are their predictions:

 

Jake: "mostly melted"

Alyssa: "all melted"

Zac: "big ice!"

What do you think happened???

Here's what it looked like about 6:00 am, roughly 9 hours after the above photo was taken:

 

I know it's hard to see and the quality is very poor, but that little part in the middle was all that was left. It was about the size of a regular ice cube.

Jake ran to the bucket when he got up a couple hours later. He looked inside, but didn't say anything. He just walked away. 

Me, already knowing the answer: "So, what does it look like?" 

Jake, grumbling: "It's all melted." 

Me: "Who was right?"

Jake: "I don't really remember." (He does not like to be wrong.) 

Me: "Oh yes you do. You said it would be mostly melted. Alyssa was right."

Jake: "You stuck it in the oven!"

Yes, son. It's all just a big conspiracy. Our sole purpose is to make sure you are always wrong. Silly boy.  We did not tamper with the results. I suppose the result was relative though. Had he gotten up when I did, he technically would have won. But if Alyssa still got up when she did, she also would have won. Technically. It could have been potentially confusing. But it wasn't, and she was quite proud of herself for guessing correctly.  

So, in a year or so, when the ice in the freezer backs up and the door won't close and we find water all over the kitchen, Jake will remember how long it takes the ice chunks to melt. And he'll be right. 

But next year we'll put the bucket in the fridge after he goes to bed so it won't all melt. Because you know, it is all just a conspiracy.

Theory Thursday: Ice Excavation

What better way is there than to spend these hot summer days playing with ice???

Playing with ice and applying science, of course!

This activity requires time and easy prep. You'll need some sort of container, many miscellaneous trinkets, water, and various excavation tools.

Start by pouring a small layer of water in your container and place it in the freezer until frozen. Add another layer of water and a few trinkets. Put it back in the freezer. Repeat the process until the container is completely full or until your desired fullness.

Some trinket ideas are buttons, coins, paper clips, rubber bands, twist ties, Legos, foam shapes/letters, beads,  screws, pom-poms, keys, balloons, rocks, marbles, and whatever other little things you can find lying around. Long items like rubber bands and twist ties require more chipping and patience. While small items like beads and buttons are easier to extract and produce quicker satisfaction.

Once your ice block is completely frozen, remove it from the bowl, gather your tools, and head outside. 

 We used warm water to melt the ice.

 We tried pouring the water through a tiny funnel to concentrate on a certain spot.

We sprinkled on salt to dissolve the ice and make it easier to chip away. The salt left the ice pitted with little holes.

We also used other tools such as spoons, forks, and picks to dig into the block.

But their favorite was definitely the hammers!

Every time they'd hit the block, ice flew everywhere! Whether it was a big chunk or little specks, it was exciting to experience. 

We even flipped the hammer around and used it like a pickax. That really sent the ice soaring!

There was a surprise tool inside one of the blocks. Once Alyssa freed the screw from its frozen prison, we used it and a hammer to chisel away the ice.

We inspected the objects and the variances in the ice. Some parts were smooth, some had cracks, and other areas had tiny bubbles.

It was so exciting when we'd get a portion of an object partially excavated. The kids would grab it and try to yank it completely out of the ice. When that didn't work, they'd have to go back to chipping away at it.

They had so much fun with this ice excavation. Jake extracted all of his objects, convinced Zac to let him help with his, and tried to sneak a few items from Alyssa's block. He declared that this was "one of the best things ever!" He's asked at least 2,000 times - give or take a few dozen - if we can do this again.

Definitely.

 

Linked to I can Teach My Child, Living Life Intentionally, Science Sparks, Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas

Theory Thursday: Crystal Window Frost

Have you ever walked out to your car in the middle of winter and find the "pretty" ice on your window. You know the stuff that forms in a circle-like pattern of straight lines. Sometimes I'll sit in my truck after starting it and just stare at the ice in awe and wonderment, or maybe dismay thinking about having to scrape it all off. As pretty as it may be it has to go. Well, it's not quite cold enough for this ice to form on our glass right now, but today we will create a crystal "film" that looks like this ice. 

To make the formula is fairly simple. All you need is 1/3 cup Epsom salt, 1/2 cup hot water, and a few drops of  liquid dishwashing soap.

You simply mix the three ingredients in a bowl, dip a paper towel, and wipe on the window.

The website where we found the idea claims you will start to see crystal formations within minutes. We wiped our windows and waited minutes, then an hour, and then with only a few tiny crystals showing I gave up. At this point the kids were in bed, so they couldn't help with the new batch. This time I made sure the water was as hot as our tap gets. With the first time the water did sit a couple extra seconds for pictures and a few more before we actually got everyone paper towels and began putting it on the window. So the water may have cooled too much the first time. On this second attempt the crystals began to form at about fifteen minutes and by about the forty-five minute mark the window was covered.

I imagine that if you allowed the water to get warmer in a tea kettle or something you might get faster results, but then you're talking about being cautious with the water so nobody gets burned. Now, so you know, the purpose of the dish soap is to make it easier to clean off the window. Supposedly it only needs to be wiped down with water. Erika tried that, it didn't work. So she sprayed with window cleaner, and then again with more water. It did come off, it just took more than just water.

It did look pretty cool once we got a successful use. I do wish I would have thought of trying the hotter water while the kids were still up to see their reaction. What they did see they thought was really cool and they were rather disappointed when Mommy washed it all away.

So, go ahead and give it a try. Cover your windows in crystal frost.

(The site we got the idea from has a pretty cool time lapse video you should watch.)