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Dry Ice Experiments

Page history last edited by PBworks 16 years, 4 months ago

Dry Ice Experiments

 

 

Offered close to Halloween, this is one of those programs that will draw a larger audience than your usual crowd. I had some adults who wanted to attend, too, and I let them as long as they sat in the back row and behaved.

 

Materials Needed:

Dry Ice (details below)

Several containers of various sizes

Plenty of hot water and a way to keep it hot

Dish washing soap

Length of fabric

Candle & Lighter

Cooler

Gloves

Hammer

Carved Pumkin with small container for water inside

Spoons - three various sizes

 

Cost:

Finding most of the needed materials at home, I only needed to spend around $13 for about 10 pounds of dry ice.

 

Description:

1.  Before the program - purchase the dry ice. I bought the dry ice close to the event, however, if you buy it in the morning before an evening event, I recommend buying twice as much as you think you'll need to be safe. Dry ice sublimates (melts) at about 10 pounds per 24 hours.

 

2.  Before the program - carve a pumpkin. I like to use the fog-spuing pumpkin as a decoration that also suggests a use for dry ice.

 

3.  Before the program - Heat plenty of water and have it handy. I used a large coffee maker.

 

4.  Just before opening the doors, get the pumkin going by filling a small container with hot water and dropping in some dry ice. Also get a couple other cauldrons going.

 

5.  Talk about dry ice safety and preparation (see handout).

 

6.  The experiments: 

       A. Extinguish a candle - after the demonstration, invite three teens to see who can extinguish the flame the fastest. I give them gloves and a large drinking glass with hot water and dry ice.

       B. With a dry ice cauldron going, add a small amount of dish soap. The resulting bubbles may be safely handled.

       C. With a dry ice cauldron going, dunk a long piece of fabric into a high concentration of dish soap and water. Dragging the fabric over the cauldron will (eventually) create a bubble that will be filled with dry ice fog. This is called a crystal bubble. It is fun to put a waterproof flashlight inside the cauldren and dim the lights for a nice effect.

       D. Singing spoons - have a few teens warm up various sized spoons in their hands. Press the spoons directly onto a large piece of dry ice and listen to the spoons sing.

 

Additional Resources:

Dry Ice Handout.doc

Short video of Steve Spangler with some great advice. 

More experiment ideas like poping film canisters, self-inflating balloon, etc.

Dryiceinfo.com

 

   

 

 

 


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