Last week Mrs. Cooper's 3rd grade scientists were learning about solids, liquids, and gases by doing an experiment with creamer, salt, and ice.
This ice cream experiment provides students with a hands-on understanding of the states of matter: solids, liquids, and gases. Starting with the creamer in liquid form, students observe how adding salt to ice (solid) lowers its freezing point, causing it to melt into a liquid while absorbing heat from the surroundings. This process helps the liquid creamer cool rapidly, transforming it into a solid (ice cream). The vigorous shaking introduces air (gas) into the mixture, creating a lighter texture. Through this fun activity, students witness firsthand how matter can change states due to temperature shifts and the interaction between substances, deepening their comprehension of fundamental scientific principles.
Another reason this experiment is beneficial for students is because it offers students a clear example of physical changes by demonstrating how substances can change form without altering their chemical composition. When the liquid creamer is shaken with the ice and salt mixture, it undergoes a physical change as it turns from a liquid into a solid (ice cream). The process is reversible—if left out at room temperature, the ice cream would melt back into its liquid state. Throughout the experiment, the creamer's basic properties, such as taste and composition, remain the same, but its physical state changes. This helps students understand that physical changes involve alterations in form, size, or state, without creating new substances.
Materials Needed:
Several individual creamer cups (around 6-10 cups, depending on how much ice cream you want)
Ice cubes
Salt (rock salt or table salt)
Two resealable plastic bags: one small (quart size) and one large (gallon size)
A towel or oven mitts
Steps:
Prepare the Creamer Cups:
Place each creamer cup into a large resealable bag.Prepare the Ice and Salt Mixture:
Fill the large resealable bag halfway with ice cubes. Add ½ to ¾ cup of salt to the ice. This salt will lower the freezing point of the ice, making it easier to freeze the creamer..
Shake It:
Shake the bags vigorously for 5-10 minutes. The more shaking, the quicker the creamer will freeze into ice cream. You can use a towel or oven mitts to protect your hands from the cold while shaking.Serve:
Once the creamer has thickened into ice cream, remove the small bag, wipe off any salt from the outside, and enjoy your homemade ice cream straight from the bag or scoop it into a bowl.
Tips:
You can experiment with different flavors of creamer cups to create unique ice cream flavors.
If you don't want to shake the bag yourself, you can pass it around between people for fun, or try rolling it back and forth on a flat surface.
This method is great for a quick and easy ice cream treat!
