MELTING ICE EXPERIEMENT

Here’s a fun, non-toxic project for kids of all ages, and the best part is you likely have everything you need at home.
To make your own you will need:
·         Bowls for making the ice
·         A tray to do your experiment on
·         Water
·         Food colouring
·         Marina Lighthouse Sea Salt
 
Directions
Step 1
Take your containers and fill them with water – allow them to freeze overnight
Step 2
Once frozen, empty out your frozen moulds onto the tray
Step 3
Sprinkle a handful of salt over the top of your ice. The kids will love it when they notice how quickly the salt starts to melt the ice and enjoy watching the rivets appear!
Step 4
Take your food colouring and drop little droplets all over the top of the salt & ice…watch how the colour highlights the patterns, tunnels & rivets the salt makes in the ice.
 
How it works
This is a great way to discuss erosion and the shapes formed by running water with your children. The salt lowers the freezing point of water through a process called freezing point depression. The ice starts to melt, making liquid water. Salt dissolves in the water, adding ions that increase the temperature at which the water could re-freeze. As the ice melts, energy is drawn from the water, making it colder. Salt is used in ice cream makers for this reason. It makes the ice cream cold enough to freeze. Did you notice how the water feels colder than the ice cube? The ice exposed to the salty water melts faster than other ice, so holes and channels form.
 
Adapted from https://pagingfunmums.com/2015/02/23/melting-ice-salt-science-experiment/