Melt that ice away

Iam not sure what has happened to winter this year. The past couple of weeks have seemed more like fall to me, weather wise that is. Of course, all of this warm weather has melted most of the snow, and what are we left with, but a lot of slippery ice! I do not know how many times I have “wiped out.” You probably have seen me somewhere around town lying on the ground at some point during the day!

Now, once you quit laughing at me, please try this experiment to help you figure out how to melt that pesky ice in your driveway or on the sidewalk which will hopefully keep me on my feet…Let’s get started!

Remember to ask an adult before doing this experiment.

Materials

• 3 clear cups

• Masking tape

• Marker

• Water

• Ice cubes

•Timer

• Salt

• Sugar

• Sand

• Measuring spoon

• Science notebook

• Pencil

Procedure

• Label each cup: the first cup “sand,”the second one “salt” and the last one “sugar.”

• Make a chart in your science notebook so you can record your results of how fast each substance melts the ice cubes.

• Fill each cup three quarters full of water.

• Add four ice cubes to the cup labelled “sand.”

• Measure 5 mL (one teaspoon) of sand and sprinkle it over the ice cubes in the cup.

• Start your timer and time how long it takes for ALL of the ice cubes to melt.

• Repeat with “salt” and then “sugar.”

• Make any observations and record these in your science notebook as well.

What is going on?

First of all, I appreciate each and every one of you doing this experiment to see how you can melt the ice and save me from further bruising!

All joking aside, this is a great start to a science fair project as well. I had a problem; there is too much ice on the sidewalks and I keep falling and hurting myself. I wanted to solve the problem so I thought of different things I wanted to help me solve the problem. I tried three different substances to see which would melt the ice the fastest. Now that I have some results, I should replicate or try my experiment again to ensure my results are accurate and did not just happen by chance. I can then use my results to make my life much better (by not being so sore from falling!).

As you can see, a science fair project does not need to be complicated at all. Do you have something you want to investigate? I would love to see it, and what better time to do it than this year? The Regional Science Fair will be virtual and much easier to attend!

Remember if your school is interested in doing a science fair this year, do not forget to connect with us at Praxis – we are here to help you – even virtually during the pandemic. Please keep reading here each week for more helpful ideas and even tips on Science Fair.

Patty Rooks, Senior

Scientific Consultant PRAXIS, “Connecting Science To The Community”. Contact Praxis at praxis@praxismh.ca, www. praxismh.ca, 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