Hot Ice

Chemistry:	Super Saturated Solutions
Grade Range:	Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Format:	Stage

This demonstration is under construction

Materials

• Sodium Acetate Seed Crystals
• Sodium Acetate Solution (in 250mL Erlenmeyer Flask)
• Water
• Hot Plate
• Watch Glass or Similar

Safety Precautions

Please read the Liquid Chemical section of the Demonstration Safety page before performing this demonstration.

This demonstration requires: Goggles

Demonstration

Preparation: If the sodium acetate solution is crystallized, warm it on the hot plate set to medium (4-5) for 20-30 minutes. If needed, add water during this process to keep the volume in the flask close to 200mL, but not more than.

1. Ask the audience of any of them have ever seen stalagmites or stalactites in person. How do they form?
2. Show the flask and mention that the solution inside is a super saturated solution. Set out the watch glass with a small seed crystal in the center. Carefully start pouring the solution directly on top of the seed crystal. You should see a stalagmite start to form!
3. Try to pour out the entire solution carefully and create a large stalagmite. The solution is sensitive to shaking, so it might crystallize inside the flask as you are pouring!
4. Ask the audience for thoughts on why it crystallized. Explain the demonstration.

Why This Works

Short Explanation

This is where you would provide a basic, easy-to-understand explanation of the demonstration. Try not to use too much "Science Jargon", and if needed add any explanation tips, like comparing the demo to something kids are familiar with.

Full Explanation

This is where you will explain the demonstration in full, and provide all additional information that pertains to the demo. Unlike the short explanation above, this should be worded so someone who is familiar with the topics might understand it. If needed, you can provide equations and citations for additional sources of information on the topic. This is also where you will find some answers for trickier questions, such as "How does a plane fly upside-down?" for the Bernoulli's Principle demo. If you want to add a floating box for equations, copy the following:

This will give you	a floating box.
The box will be	centered for you.

Additional Information

• Any extra tidbits that do not fit into other sections
• This demonstration is a part of the (insert Stage Show here)