The Frigid Gourmet
Drolson, Rochelle Clemente High School
292-5062
Objectives:
Students will be able to explain why the freezing temperature of water
has to be lowered in order to make ice cream; they will know what
chemicals are used to lower the temperature and how each of these
chemicals are soluble in water.
Apparatus needed (for a class of 30):
15 graduate cylinders filled with 45 ml of milk, 5 ml of sugar for
each cylinder, 3 drops of vanilla for each cylinder, 3 drops of any
color food coloring for each cylinder, 15 250 ml beakers, 30 wooden
sticks, 30 test tubes, 30 large styrofoam cups, 30 thermometers, 30
small plastic containers, 2 large bags of ice, 500 ml rock salt,
500 ml isopropyl alcohol, 500 ml mineral oil
Strategy:
CHART:
CHEMICALS EFFECTS ON TEMPERATURE SOLUBLE OR SCIENCE
MELTING POINT (C) INSOLUBLE SURPRISE
OF ICE IN WATER YES OR NO
RAISE, LOWER, OR
STAY THE SAME
----------------------------------------------------------------------
A. NO CHEMICAL
(ICE ONLY)
B. ROCK SALT
C. ALCOHOL
D. MINERAL OIL
______________________________________________________________________
DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING SCIENCE SURPRISE:
Step 1: Pair off with another class member
Step 2: Picking up equipment
a. You and your partner are to pick up the necessary equipment
b. Partner 1 - one graduate cylinder, one 5 ml container of
sugar, 3 drops of vanilla in cylinder, 3 drops of food
coloring in cylinder
c. Partner 2 - one 250 ml beaker, 2 wooden sticks, 2 test tubes,
2 large styrofoam cups, two thermometers, two small plastic
cups
Step 3: At your table, mix the ingredients from the graduate
cylinder with the sugar in the beaker and stir with the wooden
stick.
Step 4: Pour l/2 of the mixture from the beaker into each test tube
Step 5: Add the wooden stick to the test tube and place the test tube
in a styrofoam cup with a thermometer
Step 6: Go back to lab station and have your styrofoam cup filled with
ice and one of the chemicals according to your group title
(A,B,C, or D)
MAKE SURE THE MIXTURE IN THE TEST TUBE IS COMPLETELY
SURROUNDED BY ICE AND MAKE SURE NONE OF THE ICE AND CHEMICALS
GET IN THE TEST TUBE
Step 7: Making the science surprise
a. Record temperature of the thermometer (as soon as it stops
moving) on the chart
b. Grasp the top of the test tube with 2 or 3 fingers and twist
it back and forth in beaker-do not lift it up
c. To see if the mixture is changing, every once in awhile lift
up on stick. When the stick starts to stay stuck in the
mixture, you know a change is taking place.
Step 8: Remove the test tube from the beaker. Rub between your hands
for about 20 seconds.
Step 9: Grasp the stick and carefully remove the mixture from the test
tube
Step l0: You have made a science surprise! You may eat it!
Step ll: Looking at your chart, fill in the second column for your
chemical only.
Step l2: Pour a little of the ice water (no ice) from the styrofoam
cup into the small plastic container. Is it soluble or insoluble?
How can you tell?
Step l3: Finish filling in the chart for your chemical only.
EVALUATION QUESTIONS:
l. What was the science surprise?
2. How had the materials in the test tube changed during the
experiment?
3. What had to happen to the materials to make a change?
4. Did all the materials change? If so, why not?
5. Results of the chart
a. Fill in as a class the rest of the chart
b. Is there a pattern among the materials that changed? What do
they have in common?
c. Which materials lowered the melting point of ice?
d. Which materials raised the melting point of ice?
e. With which chemicals did the melting point stay the same?
f. With which chemicals did one have a science surprise?
g. What do the chemicals that helped to produce a science surprise
have in common?
h. Name the chemicals (if any) that didn't produce a science
surprise. What do they have in common?
i. What about those mixtures that used ice only. Did they get a
science surprise? Why or why not?
j. Do you think to make a science surprise, the temperature of ice
has to change? If so, how will it change?
6. Why can't one make a science surprise with ice alone?
7. Form a conclusion about what is needed to make a science surprise.
BONUS QUESTIONS
l. Why is salt added to the roads in winter to remove ice?
2. Methanol (freezing point is -97.8C; boiling point is 64.7C) was
used as an antifreeze in cars. It has been replaced by ethylene
glycol (freezing point is -l5.6C; boiling point is l97.6C) WHY?
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