Can a sheet of aluminum foil keep ice frozen longer than kitchen paper towels? You fill three conical flasks with equal amounts of ice. One flask stays uncovered, one is wrapped in kitchen towels, and one is wrapped in aluminum foil.
You check every 30 minutes to see which ice melts first. The uncovered ice melts within an hour. The towel-wrapped ice lasts about 90 minutes. The foil-wrapped ice stays frozen the longest, holding out for over two hours.
Hypothesis
The hypothesis is that ice stored in a container covered with aluminum foil will melt at a slower rate.
Some materials slow heat movement into a cold object better than others. Aluminum foil wrapped around a flask of ice keeps it frozen for over two hours. Kitchen paper towels slow heat for about 90 minutes, and uncovered ice melts within an hour.
Aluminum foil does more than keep food fresh — it also reflects warmth away, which means it holds onto coolness better than kitchen paper towels. You fill three conical flasks with equal amounts of ice, leave one uncovered, wrap one in kitchen towels, and wrap one in aluminum foil. The uncovered ice melts within an hour. The towel-wrapped ice lasts about 90 minutes. The foil-wrapped ice stays frozen the longest, holding out for over two hours.
Method & Materials
You will need to get 3 conical flasks, 3 corks, aluminum foil, kitchen towel paper, a bag of ice, 3 white towels, a digital weighing scale, and a clock. Place equal amounts of ice in each flask and cover two of them with kitchen towels and aluminum foil. Place the flasks on white towels and inspect them every 30 minutes to see if the ice has melted.
You will need 3 conical flasks, 3 corks, aluminum foil, kitchen towel paper, a bag of ice, 3 white towels, a digital weighing scale, and a clock.
MEL Physics — hands-on physics experiment kits delivered monthly — real experiments, not just reading. (Affiliate link)
The results showed that the ice in the conical flask covered with aluminum foil stayed frozen the longest. It stayed frozen for a significantly longer period of time than the other flasks.
Why do this project?
This science project is interesting because it shows how reflective containers can be used to slow down the melting rate of ice.
Also Consider
Consider repeating the experiment using different colored containers and compare the rate of melting when ice is placed in containers insulated with styrofoam, bubble pack, and fabric.
Full project details
Additional information and source material for this project are available below.
