Experiments with KVRR Meteorologist Scott Sincoff: Dry Ice in Motion
Fun, Easy, Kid-Friendly Science Experiments
This week, Meteorologist Scott Sincoff worked with Ben Franklin Middle School Earth Science Teacher, Barry Olson, to display dry ice in motion.
What you need for the experiment:
- Dry Ice
- Gloves
- Towel to put Dry Ice On
- Hammer to break up dry ice
- Spoon
How to do the experiment:
We’re going to take a look at using some dry ice to see how molecules move around a surface, like my table. When molecules gain energy, the molecules move faster and faster.
We’ve got some dry ice at a temperature that freezes at -109 degrees Fahrenheit and this is CO2 gas or Carbon Dioxide. It is now in its solid form. We’re going to take the dry ice and break it up into smaller pieces and then take some of that in a spoon and drop it on the table. Once the dry ice hits the table, the molecules are starting to move around and they go faster and faster as they sublimate and move from a solid to a gas. This is a display of molecular motion.
