Dry Ice Lab

Dry Ice Lab

Background: Dry ice is made of solid carbon dioxide (CO₂).  The same compound that you breathing out at this very moment.  It is far colder than water ice which freezes at 0°C, dry ice freezes at -78.5°C (-110°F).  Dry ice is used to ship food through the mail or to keep items cold where there is not a refrigerator.

Preparation Questions:

1. Taste the apple juice.  How does it taste, be as descriptive as possible.

Observe dry ice:

3. Make observations about what happens to the dry ice as it is left at your table.

4. Make at least three observations about how it is different from water ice.

5. When a metal object is placed on the dry ice what occurs? Compare this to what happens when you stretch out the opening of a latex balloon to make the opening very small. 

6. What happens when dry ice is placed in cup with plastic wrap on top?  Why does this happen?

7. Pour the dry ice vapor over the lit candle.  What happens to the candle?  Explain why this happens.

Dry ice in water:

8. What happens when dry ice is placed in warm water? Is this a physical or chemical change, explain why.

9. Is the water boiling?  What are the bubbles going up in the cup?

10. When “steam” comes out of the beaker, it goes down instead of up like steam from a pot of boiling water.  Why do you think this happens? (Hint: think about what you know about density!)

11. Observe the dry ice after it has been in the water for a long period of time.  What happens to the dry ice?

Dry ice in soapy water:

12. What happens when dry ice is placed in the soapy water.

13. Feel the bubbles from the dry ice in soapy water.  How do they feel different from regular bubbles?

14.  What observations can you make when you pop the bubbles?

Apple juice & dry ice:

15. Drink the apple juice after the dry ice has disappeared.  Does it taste any different?

16. Does it remind you of anything else that you drink? Compare it to other beverages that you have drank. Do you think this is a physical or chemical change? Explain why.

Questions:

19. Draw the cycle of the changes of state of matter.  What is the name of the change that is happening to the dry ice? Is it losing or gaining energy? Is this a physical or chemical change, explain.

20. Explain why the dry ice changed rapidly when it was placed in hot water. Think about the energy change that occurred.   

21. How is dry ice different from water ice?  Explain at least three differences.

22. Did the dry ice float or sink in the water?  How does this compare to water ice? Which one is less dense/more dense?