Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Is this a good hypothesis? If I add salt, sugar and sand to different samples of ice, the sample that has the salt added to it will melt faster than the other samples, because salt melts ice faster than sugar or sand.

Hi Oreos!
The beginning of your hypothesis sounds great. However, the ending could use a little work. "because salt melts ice faster than sugar or sand." Here you're kind of making the experiment pointless by actually claiming that you already know that salt melts ice faster than sugar or sand. Isn't that what you're testing? If you're going to add a "because" to your hypothesis you need to first establish that you don't know if salt actually does or doesn't melt ice the fastest yet. Now without that information, determine why you think that salt would melt ice the fastest. Is it due to its structure, bond type etc... Here's an example hypothesis from a different experiment. It might help clarify the point of the "because" statement:

If the temperature of sea water increases, then the amount of salt that will dissolve in that water
increases because with increasing temperatures, particles gain more energy and thus move faster, leading to more contact between them.

See how the hypothesis is a logical guess, prediction (not a fact yet!), based off of the information you already know?
Now you try Good luck!

Can you tell us about ice and crap. We wanted to know what makes ice melt fastest. We are melting ice with salt sand and sugar. Can you tell us some information about it. It would be a big help if you could respond. We wont have to feel the wrath of our teacher if you do so. Thank You

Hi krazykidrg,

What, specifically, are you having trouble with? The background section of the project idea and sites linked to therein have a lot of information about how these materials help melt ice. Posting questions on the Ask an Expert Forums is most helpful once you have specific questions that you need help answering.

Well, i need to know how salt melts ice. I also need to know how sugar and sand melts ice. All of this will be in water too. Ill make a list of questions.
1. How does salt melt ice in water?
2. How does sugar melt ice in water?
3. How does sand melt sugar?
4. Does the ice being in water effect how the salt, sand, and sugar melt it?

Hi krazykidrg,

Salt and sugar melt ice because they lower the freezing point of water. Instead of freezing at 32 degrees F (0 degrees C), a mixture of salt and ice (or sugar and ice) will freeze at a lower temperature. You can read more about that - and find the answers to the other questions you have listed - at this website:

http://chemistry.about.com/od/howthings ... lt-ice.htm

Thank u. U were a BIG help. Now we dont have to feel the wrath of our teacher.

Hi krazykidg,

Glad to help! Feel free to post back if you run into additional questions when run the experiments.