Can You Make Sea Ice at Home?

What Crafty Clover says in this video

Intro

Hi there, curious minds! I'm Crafty Clover! Let's discover something amazing. Can you make sea ice at home?

The Big Idea

Yes, you can make sea ice at home, with a grown-up's help! Stir salt into water and chill it in the freezer. Then watch how it freezes, step by step.

Make Salty Water

Step one: make salty water. Stir a couple of teaspoons of salt into each cup of water, until it is gone. That makes the water a bit like the sea, which is salty.

Chill It

Step two: chill it. Pour it into a shallow tray, and ask a grown-up to put it in the freezer. Check it every hour. Thin crystals form first, then the surface turns slushy.

Slush to Ice

Step three: slush to ice. The ice grows thicker over time as more water freezes onto it. Salty water freezes at a lower temperature than fresh water, so it takes longer.

A Closer Look

Let's take a closer look! The salty water starts as a cold liquid. Thin ice crystals form first. Then the surface becomes slushy. Finally, it grows into a layer of solid, salty ice.

Quick Facts

Quick facts! Real sea ice forms in the same slushy way. Sea ice is made mostly of fresh ice crystals with pockets of salty brine. That is why sea ice is saltier than a glacier. Be gentle with the cold tray, and ask a grown-up to help, because very cold things can hurt your skin.

Think Like a Scientist

Now, think like a scientist! With a grown-up, make two trays, one with salt water and one with plain water. Check them each hour. Which freezes first? Share what you discover with a grown-up.

Outro

Salty water freezes slowly and slushily, just like real sea ice. Science is amazing! Crafty Clover can be found on Amazon Books, Google Bookstore, and Apple Books. Available for purchase or download! Bye for now!