Ice Melting- Science Activity

On Thursday and Friday we focused some more on what happens to ice/snow when it warms up and things that can make snow/ice melt. We did a science activity with salt, ice and water colors to see what salt does to ice. This is a great activity that students can do on their own and can really see how salt makes ice crack and melt.

Materials needed: ice, salt, water colors, spoons (or something to use to pour the water colors on the ice) and bowls/containers

First we filled up small cups almost to the top with water and placed them in the freezer to freeze over night. Then we removed the ice and placed it in a bowl.

Next we got the rest of our materials ready. Each student got a cup with a small amount of salt, a spoon, and then there were bowls in the middle of our tables with water colors in them.

Then students sprinkled salt all over their ice. They would put some on the top, wait a minute and then roll it on it side and add more salt. After about 4-5 minutes you could see the salt doing it's magic.

Then we started adding our water colors. The darker the water color paint was, the better it showed up. We started with one color so that we could really see it and then would add other colors on different parts of the ice.

Then we added a little more salt and water colors.

After a while, we had some very interesting looking ice formations. We walked around and looked at everyone's ice. We talked about the different colors and the different shapes. This activity really helped students to understand melting more and how other things, besides for the sun can affect snow and ice. 

Our bowl full of our colorful, melting ice.

This was such a fun project. I would love to do it again with different sizes and shapes of ice. A large cube of ice would be fun to use.