Fun Science Project of the Week: Ice Cream in a Baggie

Fun Science Project of the Week Ice Cream in a Baggie From Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D., your Guide to Chemistry This ice cream project is a great science project because it illustrates freezing point depression and because the project itself tastes great. Ice Cream Recipe The Recipe  If the vanilla ice cream recipe I've supplied doesn't suit your tastes, you can use pretty much any ice cream recipe for this project. Just put the ingredients inside a small sealed plastic baggie. The 'science' part is the ice and salt you place in a larger baggie. Salt lowers the point at which ice freezes. When a little ice melts, energy is absorbed, which ultimately freezes your ice cream. Colligative Properties Freezing Point Depression  Freezing point depression is a colligative property, which is a property of matter that depends on the number of particles that are involved, not what type of particles they are. Boiling Point Elevation Boiling point elevation is another colligative property. In this case, the boiling point of a substance is raised when you add impurities to it. This is one of the reasons cooks add salt to water to cook pasta. It tastes good, plus it allows the water to get a bit hotter before it vaporizes. Melting Snow and Ice with Salt Adding salt to ice helps you to freeze ice cream, but it also makes it harder for any ice that melts to re-freeze. The same principle is used to de-ice sidewalks and roads. Got Questions? Visit the Chemistry Forum  You can ask and answer questions about science projects at About's chemistry forum. You'll find scientists, engineers, teachers, students, parents, and other people just like you with an interest in science. Science Project Photo Gallery Are you looking for more projects to try? Check out this photo gallery of science projects. Science Quizzes Ok, so you can do cool science projects, but how much do you know about science? Test yourself with one of these quick multiple choice quizzes! Chemistry Activities for Kids E-Course Here's another free newsletter that might interest you. Are you ready for kid-friendly chemistry activities and games? Each e-course newsletter features safe projects, games or quizzes, and links for additional learning. Learn about the elements, grow crystals, and more! When you sign up you'll get one newsletter a week until you've gotten them all. Sign me up! This email is written by:  Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.