11-28-09 Science Fair Challenge to Excellence Ice Cube Melting 11-28-09 Science Fair Challenge to Excellence

Big Question What substance will melt ice faster: sugar, salt, or pepper? I chose this experiment because I always wonder what I should use to melt ice on the roads. I know we use salt, but what if it’d be quicker to use sugar or pepper.

Hypothesis Hypothesis My hypothesis is that salt will melt ice faster because to melt ice on the streets, they use salt. I am not positive salt will melt ice faster because I am using table salt, not the rock salt which they use to melt ice on the roads. My hypothesis is that salt will melt ice faster because to melt ice on the streets, they use salt. I am not positive salt will melt ice faster because I am using table salt, not the rock salt which they use to melt ice on the roads

Did you know….. Rock salt doesn’t work well below 22 degrees F Most people use rock salt for their drive ways Rock salt doesn’t work well below 22 degrees F Most people use rock salt for their drive ways

Experiment Procedure Gather materials and place an ice cube on the scale. Weigh the ice cube by itself. Add a substance on the ice cube and set the timer for 5 minutes When the timer goes off, take off substance and weigh again to see how many grams it melted. Write down data and repeat steps 1-4 to make sure data is correct. Write down data and communicate results. Materials 6 ice cubes 1 tsp. sugar 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. pepper Timer Gram scale Variables Salt Sugar Pepper

Observations After the 5 minutes, the sugar forms clumps on the ice Most of my ice cubes weighed the same(12 grams) In order to get the exact weight, the ice cube must be in the middle of the scale As the ice cube melted, the sugar and salt stuck to it

Data Sugar No Salt Yes 0% 1.225% 1.285% Pepper Nothing Substance Beginning weight of ice cube in grams After 5 minutes weight of ice cube on it Percent- age of melt age of ice cube Sugar 12g 10g 1.2% Pepper 0% Salt 9g 1.3% Nothing Round Two 8g 1.25% 16g 14g 11g 1.27% Substance Average meltage Melts ice fastest Sugar 1.225% No Salt 1.285% Yes Pepper 0% Nothing

Analysis of Data This experiment tested my hypothesis. I know that because it did test if salt melted ice fastest and it did. I learned that sugar could also melt ice and pepper didn’t do anything to it.

Conclusion My hypothesis was correct because salt melted ice the fastest In my experiment, I would change some of the substances because pepper didn’t melt at all. I want to know what does melt ice. Some new questions I have are: Will breadcrumbs melt ice? What liquid melts ice fastest? Can salt melt a popsicle?

References References http://www.infoplease.com/cig/science-fair-projects/substance-melts-ice-fastest.html about.com sciencebuddies.com http://www.infoplease.com/cig/science-fair-projects/substance-melts-ice-fastest.html about.com sciencebuddies.com