DRY ICE E XPERIMENTS
Dry Ice is not poisonous, but it is extremely cold and can cause cryogenic
burns to unprotected skin. Please take precautions when handling dry ice;
thick leather gloves should be worn when handling to avoid cryogenic burns.
Children should always be supervised when dry ice is being used. See safety
information from DryIce.com on page 3 for more.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN : Gather your materials for the following
experiments. Each experiment lists what you will need. Dry ice can
be found at most grocery stores, and you can purchase any amount
you want. A fresh block from the Dry Ice freezer is 8-9 lbs. For the
following experiments, 3-4 lbs will be plenty.
EXPERIMENT 1: DISCOVERING DRY ICE
What you will need: plastic cereal bowl,
plastic cup, 2 cups warm water, leather
gloves, hammer, ½ cup of dry ice, dish
towel, metal table spoon
What to do: Place warm (not hot) water in
plastic bowl, cup, or other container. While wearing leather gloves,
place about a lime sized piece of dry ice into the dish towel, and smash
with the hammer. Place spoonfuls of dry ice into the water, and watch
the sublimation. The gas coming out of the bowl is safe for children to
touch, just keep fingers out of bowl.
EXPERIMENT 2: BUBBLES EVERYWHERE
What you will need: leather gloves, metal spoon, warm water,
dry ice, dish towel, hammer, assorted liquid soaps (baby
shampoo, dish soap, shampoo, bubble bath), soda bottle or
plastic cup. Optional: food coloring
What to do: Take a lemon sized piece of dry ice, place it in the
dish towel, and break it into small pieces with the hammer. Take
your bottle or cup and fill 1/3 with warm water. Squeeze 1
tablespoon of liquid soap into water. Optional: Add 1 or 2 drops
of food coloring to the water. Add dry ice pieces until bubbles
start to form. When bubbles slow down, add more dry ice. Try
using different kinds of liquid soap, and see which kind makes
the best bubbles.
EXPERIMENT 3: WATCHING WATER FREEZE
What you will need: leather gloves, metal spoon, water, dry ice, clock/watch/kitchen timer
What to do: While wearing gloves, grab a grapefruit sized piece of dry ice, and hold it flat in
your hand. With your other hand, hold a metal spoon flat onto the piece of dry ice, and fill it with
water. Have your child help you time how fast the water freezes in the spoon. For added effect,
place the same amount of water in the freezer, and compare the time.
EXPERIMENT 4: DRY ICE POPSICLE
What you will need: grapefruit size piece of dry ice, leather gloves,
metal cup, HOT water, soda/flavored milk/juice, toothpick,
What to do: Place HOT water in metal cup (martini shakers work
great), and allow metal to warm up. Put on leather gloves and hold dry
ice. Take the warmed cup, and press it firmly into the the dry ice; it
will make a loud squealing noise, that is normal. After 30-45 seconds
a well in the shape of the cup will form in the dry ice. Set the cup
aside. Take your flavored liquid, and pour it into the well in the dry
ice. Place a toothpick in the liquid, and wait for it to freeze. Once
frozen, be careful to remove it using gloved hands. It will be very
cold, so let it warm up for a minute or two then enjoy your Popsicle!
EXPERIMENT 5: CANDLE EXTINGUISHER
What you will need: Plastic Cup, small pieces of dry ice, warm water, leather gloves, candle,
candle holder, matches
What to do: Place candle in candle holder, and light. Put dry ice in the cup of warm water, and
let it begin to sublimate. Bring cup of dry ice near the lit candle, and let the gas (not the water!)
fall onto the flame. Fire needs oxygen to burn, in the presence of carbon dioxide, the flame will
extinguish.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Q: Does dry ice melt?
A: Dry Ice does not melt (solid, liquid, gas), it sublimates; it goes straight from a solid to a gas.
The warmer the temperature, the quicker it sublimates. That's why putting dry ice in a bowl of
warm water causes it to sublimate faster than just letting it sit on the table.
Q: What is dry ice made out of?
A: Frozen carbon dioxide gas.
Q: Why can't I touch it with my hands?
A: Dry ice is -109F, touching it with your bare skin can cause a cryogenic burn (frostbite).
Q: How should I store my dry ice? And how long will it last?
A: Store ice in a Styrofoam cooler with the lid on. To make it last longer, do not open the lid too
often. Do not store dry ice in an air tight container; the sublimation will cause a buildup of gas,
and can cause the container to explode. An 8 lb brick of dry ice, in a well-insulated container,
should last about 12-24 hours. It will depend on how well insulated the container is, and how
warm the outside temperature is. To be safe, buy it close to the time you want to use it.
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SAFE HANDLING OF DRY ICE
(DRYICEINFO.COM)
Caution: Keep Dry Ice away from children if they cannot be closely supervised at all times.
HANDLING
Dry Ice temperature is extremely cold at -109.3°F or -78.5°C. Always handle Dry Ice with care and wear protective
cloth or leather gloves whenever touching it. An oven mitt or towel will work. If touched briefly it is harmless, but
prolonged contact with the skin will freeze cells and cause injury similar to a burn.
STORAGE
Store Dry Ice in an insulated container. The thicker the insulation, the slower it will sublimate. Do not store Dry Ice in
a completely airtight container. The sublimation of Dry Ice to Carbon Dioxide gas will cause any airtight container to
expand or possibly explode. Keep proper air ventilation wherever Dry Ice is stored. Do not store Dry Ice in
unventilated rooms, cellars, autos or boat holds. The sublimated Carbon Dioxide gas will sink to low areas and
replace oxygenated air. This could cause suffocation if breathed exclusively. Do not store Dry Ice in a refrigerator
freezer. The extremely cold temperature will cause your thermostat to turn off the freezer. It will keep everything
frozen in the freezer but it will be used up at a faster rate. It is the perfect thing if your refrigerator breaks down in an
emergency. There are also Commercial Storage Containers available.
VENTILATION
Normal air is 78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen and only 0.035% Carbon Dioxide. If the concentration of carbon dioxide in
the air rises above 0.5%, carbon dioxide can become dangerous. Smaller concentrations can cause quicker
breathing and headaches but is otherwise not harmful. If Dry Ice has been in a closed auto, van, room, or walk-in, for
more than 10 minutes, open doors and allow adequate ventilation before entering. Leave area containing Dry Ice if
you start to pant and breath quickly develop a headache or your fingernails or lips start to turn blue. This is the sign
that you have breathed in too much CO2 and not enough oxygen. Dry Ice CO2 is heavier than air and will accumulate
in low spaces. Do not enter closed storage areas that have or have had stored Dry Ice before airing out completely.
PICK-UP TIME AND TRANSPORTING
Plan to pick up the Dry Ice as close to the time it is needed as possible. It sublimates at 10%, or 5 to 10 pounds every
24 hours, whichever is greater. Carry it in a well-insulated container such as an ice chest. If it is transported inside a
car or van for more than 15 minutes make sure there is fresh air. After 15 minutes with Dry Ice only in its paper bag in
the passenger seat next to me, I started to breathe faster and faster as though I were running a race. I couldn't figure
out why I was so out of breath until I saw the car air system was set in the re-circulated position, not fresh outside air.
BURN TREATMENT
Treat Dry Ice burns the same as a regular heat burns. See a doctor if the skin blisters or comes off. Otherwise if only
red it will heal in time as any other burn. Apply antibiotic ointment to prevent infection and bandage only if the burned
skin area needs to be protected.
MSDS Here are two Material Safety Data Sheet available on
line:http://stores.biochem.uiowa.edu/Pages/dryicemsds.html
http://www.airgas.com/documents/pdf/001091.pdf
COUNTERTOPS
Do not leave Dry Ice on a tiled or solid surface countertop as the extreme cold could crack it.
DISPOSAL
Unwrap and leave it at room temperature in a well-ventilated area. It will sublimate from a solid to a gas.
DO NOT leave Dry Ice unattended around children.