1. 11-28-09 Science Fair Challenge to Excellence
Ice Cube Melting
Science Fair
Challenge to Excellence

2. 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.

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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.

9. 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?

10. References References
about.com
sciencebuddies.com
about.com
sciencebuddies.com