Fishing for ice is a fun, easy, and quick kitchen science experiment for kids of all ages. Learn how salt melts ice and why people spread salt on their icy stairs and walkways during the winter.

Fun, easy, and quick science experiment for kids of all ages. Learn how salt melts ice, go fishing, and

Why Salt Melts Ice

Usually water freezes at 32° F (0° C), but when it is mixed with salt it lowers the freezing point significantly. This simply means the ice melts. We have used this same trick to make yummy treats like fruity ice slush and easy homemade ice cream!

For this experiment we used this phenomenon to do a little trick I like to call “Fishing for Ice”. We headed to the kitchen to gather the following supplies:

  • Cup full of water
  • A few ice cubes
  • Table salt
  • A piece of string

Fun, easy, and quick science experiment for kids of all ages. Learn how salt melts ice, go fishing, and

We completed our salt melts ice experiment by following these directions:

  • Place the ice cubes in the cup of water. They will float on top.
  • Try to “fish” for an ice cube with the string. It won’t “catch” anything.
  • Place the string in the water and across the top of the ice cubes.
  • Now sprinkle a little bit of salt across the ice cubes. Wait for a minute or so.
  • Pull the string out and see what you caught!
Fun, easy, and quick science experiment for kids of all ages. Learn how salt melts ice, go fishing, and

Why Does the Ice Stick to the String?

When salt is sprinkled over ice it melts. However, when it is used in such a small amount, like in our experiment, the water around the ice freezes again quickly. This means that the string gets trapped as the water around it refreezes, making it stick to the ice. We were able to freeze all of our ice cubes to one piece of string. How about you?

More Hands-On Fun for Kids –>

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