Explore the science behind how ice cubes melt when left outside in the sun on a hot summer day, perfect for curious 11-year-olds.
When you place a cup of ice cubes on a table under the hot sun, something interesting happens! Let’s go through it step by step to understand why this happens.
On a hot summer day, the temperature outside is very high. The sun shines down, adding heat to everything it touches, including your cup of ice. Temperature is a measure of how hot or cold something is, and heat is what makes things warm.
Ice is frozen water. When it’s cold, the water molecules are packed closely together, forming a solid shape. In your cup, the ice cubes are very cold, usually around or below 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit).
Heat moves from hotter objects to cooler ones. Since the air and the table are much warmer than the ice cubes, heat moves towards the ice. This process is called heat transfer. The sun also sends heat directly to the ice cubes!
As heat from the sun and surroundings warms the ice cubes, the temperature of the ice begins to increase. When the ice reaches 0 degrees Celsius, it starts to melt. This means the solid ice transitions into liquid water. The melting happens because the heat energy breaks the bonds between the molecules of the ice, allowing them to move freely as liquid water.
After a while, if you keep the cup in the sun, you will notice that the ice cubes get smaller and smaller. Eventually, they may disappear completely, turning into water. This watery liquid can also get warm if left in the sun for too long.
This melting process shows us how heat energy affects temperature and states of matter—solid, liquid, and gas. It’s a simple example of how temperature and heat work in the world around us!
So, next time you see ice cubes melting in the sun, remember the steps of heat transfer and melting. It’s a fun way to observe science in action!