# Ice cube project



## Logan (Oct 9, 2009)

HI guys, I've got to to a project for science. To build a container for an ice cube (the half-circle type) to reduce it from melting.

Here is the outline:


*Ice Cube Project*

Objective: How long will a standard ice cube last in an insulated container. *Reduce the amount of conduction, convection, and radiation.


1. Find out how long an unproteced ice cube will last outside of the freezer. DONE (2.5 hours)
2. Design and build a container that will hold an ice cube and slow its melting. You can not use any pre-frozen materials. (have the ice cube in a small plastic bag) NOT DONE
3. Make a well labeled poster of your container. Large enough for the class to see. Show a cut-away view of what's inside your container. NOT DONE
4. Bring your ice cube to class on October 21st (put cube in on October 20th (at 8:00)) NOT DONE

A. Once your ice cube is in its container, do not have it in a cold place. (put it at room temp.)

B. Be prepared to open your container in class, display your poster, and tell about the experiment.




What I am asking you guys to do: How should I make my container?

I'm asking you guys because a lot of people on here are smart and would know the best way. COUGHANDIGETAPRIZEIFIWINCOUGH


Any help is appreciated,

-Logan


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## piemaster (Oct 9, 2009)

I would make a coating to prevent heat from going in.


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## fundash (Oct 9, 2009)

Cool experiment, I say you could maybe make some sort of container with a sliding door (for viewing) and then, no lite can get in exept for when you show it to your class.


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## piemaster (Oct 9, 2009)

I can't think anything better than clay that would keep heat from escaping...


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## daniel0731ex (Oct 9, 2009)

> *Reduce the amount of conduction, convection, and radiation*



conduction: transfer of heat through a conducting material.
solution: use insulating materials like styrafoam as the outside shell


convection: transfer of heat through the flow of air
solution: make sure the container is completely sealed


Radiation: transfer of heat without any materials acting as the median
solution: use obaque materials as the inner container.


hope it helps



BTW i did the exact experiment back in grade 1, and half of the class used the ice cream styrafoam box wiht some modification


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## Logan (Oct 9, 2009)

daniel0731ex said:


> > *Reduce the amount of conduction, convection, and radiation*
> 
> 
> 
> ...



What's the US equivalent of grade 1? I'm in 8th grade (14 years old) right now.


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## Ethan Rosen (Oct 9, 2009)

I believe that this man can help you:


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## Meep (Oct 9, 2009)

I did this before; I believe I had a can inside a styrofoam box I made, stuffed with cotton so the can won't move. Then I wrapped the styrofoam with duct tape (It had a styrofoam lid too). Not sure if the duct tape really helped much =P


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## HowSuneIsNow (Oct 9, 2009)

I did this in middleschool and won. the difference was that we were only aloud out use scrap construction materials. al we did was get a giant piece of foam and make cavity JUST smaller than the container of water. Tight seals are what won it for me. You can get a GIANT piece of hard insulation foam at a big box hard ware store. it's made for insulation. you can probably also get aluminum insulation tape there too.

"You can not use any pre-frozen materials." you can use liquid nitrogen. it's not frozen, it's still a liquid


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## ConnorCuber (Oct 9, 2009)

Logan said:


> daniel0731ex said:
> 
> 
> > > *Reduce the amount of conduction, convection, and radiation*
> ...



Canada grade 1 == US grade 1....


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## daniel0731ex (Oct 9, 2009)

i think my grade one teacher is meant to have us to ask our parents and make the project with them.
*it was a parent-kid project, actually.*
BTW i was still in taiwan when i was in grade one.


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## darkzelkova (Oct 9, 2009)

I thought of those 2x2's when I saw this thread.

anyway, tin foil on the outside, wrap it in like cotton balls or styrofoam. Freeze it extra if you can before you bring it in (deep freezer, dry ice, liquid nitrogen), the colder it starts the slower it will melt. Make the container air tight. Try not to let the melted water get away from the ice cube, wrap it in saran (syran?) wrap or something.

Mine would look something like this:

Ice, saran wrap, cottonballs/foam/insulation, tin foil, air tight container filled with more foam to reduce convection, then maybe more tin foil.


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## daniel0731ex (Oct 9, 2009)

darkzelkova said:


> liquid nitrogen



??? where could you get that from? the freezer?


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## Denhomer (Oct 9, 2009)

I don't know if you can do anything with this, but there is something called pykrete that melts reaaaallllyy sloooooow. You might want to consider it for using it as an inner layer.
You can also use super pykrete as shown in a mythbusters episode, it's basicly wet layers of paper frozen. This material can last really long in hot water, so it should last quite long in a normal insulated box.
I hope it can also keep your ice cube cold.


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## HowSuneIsNow (Oct 11, 2009)

DO NOT put liquid nitrogen in a sealed container. It WILL cause an explosion. liquid nitrogen is dangerous and against the spirit of the assignment, but not the letter. i mentioned it earlier as a bit of a joke.

pykrete contains ice so it would be against the rules of the assignment.


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## krazedkat (Oct 12, 2009)

Simple: Make a vacuum... :?
In Ontario you can take a grade 13 if you wish :|... But yes 1=1, 2=2 etc. For grades in Canada and US. I'm in 10th year, age: 15...


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## Logan (Oct 14, 2009)

krazedkat said:


> Simple: *Make a vacuum*... :?
> In Ontario you can take a grade 13 if you wish :|... But yes 1=1, 2=2 etc. For grades in Canada and US. I'm in 10th year, age: 15...



I was just going to say that I thought of that.


How though? and don't say "use a vacuum clearner". 

I'm thinking, put a small jar into a big jar. Put an ice cube into the small one. Take the air out of the bigger one, and wrap it in tinfoil. 

Vacuum: gets rid of air (therefor getting rid of convection, and conduction)

Tinfoil: Stops light from entering (getting rid of Radiation).

I don't know an east way to make a vacuum. Any ideas?


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## piemaster (Oct 14, 2009)

you can try to make one of those compressed clothes thingys...what were they called again?


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