Shape of ice cubes affects melting rate (Allison Shiff)
Title
It's all in the SHAPE!!
Author
Allison Shiff - Nobel Charter Middle School
Question
What effect does the shape of the ice cube have on the time it takes to melt?
Hypothesis
The greater the surface area of the ice cube the faster it will melt.
Standards
NGSS: Energy and Matter
HS-PS3
Changes of energy and matter in a system can be described in terms of energy and matter flows into, out of, and within that system. (HS-PS3-3)
8th grade:
Structure of Matter
3. Each of the more than 100 elements of matter has distinct properties and a distinct atomic structure. All forms of matter are
e. Students know that in solids the atoms are closely locked in position and can only vibrate; in liquids the atoms and molecules are more loosely connected and can collide with and move past one another; and in gases the atoms and molecules are free to move independently, colliding frequently.
Reactions
5. Chemical reactions are processes in which atoms are rearranged into different combinations of molecules. As a basis for understanding this concept:
d. Students know physical processes include freezing and boiling, in which a
material changes form with no chemical reaction.
Experimental Design
This experiment explores the connection between the melting rate of ice to the shape of the ice cube which corelates to the surface area of the ice exposed to the air.
Independent variable
Shapes of the ice cubes: (Surface area of the ice exposed to air)
Dependent variables
Time in minutes for ice to melt (Total liquid)
Series
Observe the rate at which various shaped ice cubes melt in a given amount of time.
Controls and Constants
amount of water in ml in each cube
same freezer used and constant
same type of water
temperature of room
type of plate that ice is left on
I will be using a "Control Group" set of ice cubes that are rectangular in shape from my automatic ice maker in my refrigerator.
Materials
different kinds of ice cubes
small graduated cylinder
water
timer
freezer
metric ruler
Procedures
1. pour 10 ml of tap water into ice cube trays of different shapes
2. Place ice cube trays into freezer
3. When frozen solid remove all trays from freezer
4. Place the ice cubes on a plate in an open area with constant temperature
5. Group them together by shape (along with your control group)
6. Start your timer and check on them every 10 minutes. Start filming with time lapse on camera.
7. Make qualitative observations at various time intervals.
8. When ice cubes have melted suffiiciently record results and time.
Results
Photographs and Movies