Ice Cream Science! (Freezing Point Depression With Salt.)

Today we made our own ice cream! It was super fun to do, and tasted great! This is an excellent and safe experiment your littles will enjoy doing with you! Click here for free printable instructions!

Skills engaged: Math/Measurement, Chemistry, Reading Comprehension, Following Multi-step Directions, Teamwork, Self Reward.

(If you are having trouble reading the instructions, click the photo for your free printable version!)

Measuring and combining our ingredients, both dry and liquid

Shaking the mixture in the large back with ice cubes and salt!

Enjoying his hard work!

WHAT IS HAPPENING?!

You always see roadways being pre treated with a salt solution before a big snow, we know that it helps keep them from icing over but do you know how? What you are witnessing is called "Freezing Point Depression." The freezing point of water is 32 degrees Fahrenheit, however when salt is involved, it lowers the freezing point making it harder for the water to turn to a solid by making it more difficult for the water molecules to join together and freeze.

By applying the concept of freezing point depression, lowering the temperature at which ice freezes with the salt, we were able to create an environment within the bags in which the milk mixture could freeze by quickly melting the ice with the salt and turned into ice cream! The shaking and jiggling of the bag moves the warmer milk mix from sitting in the middle of the bag to hitting the outside of the bag allowing it to freeze evenly as you shake it. The air from doing this also helps make it fluffy!

What a fun science experiment! YUM!