Why Does Ice Melt?
Water is the only molecule that exists naturally in all three states: solid, liquid and gas. Ice, the solid form of water, melts when the temperature exceeds zero degrees Centigrade, 32 degrees Fahrenheit, because as the molecules warm up, they cannot exist as a solid. External factors such as temperature and purity contribute to the rate of melting. Does this Spark an idea?
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Structure
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A water molecule is composed of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom, but because many substances dissolve in water, it is rarely pure.
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Function
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Ice is essential for maintaining the ecosystems of the North and South Poles. Ice regulates temperature and when it melts too rapidly, causes the temperature of the planet to warm up.
Process
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In ice, the molecular structure is compact and solid; molecules are cold and slow to move. As ice melts, the molecules move further and further apart. The more molecules move, the faster the process proceeds.
Features
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Ice in the middle of a cube or a glacier is significantly cooler then the ice on the fringes. Melting produces heat, which is absorbed by the molecules as they shift from ice to water.
Considerations
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Adding minerals, like salt, to ice can increase the rate of melting by disrupting the balance of the molecule. It is hard for salt to be absorbed by ice, but easy by water.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit "Ice Temptation 3" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: philip.bitnar (Philip Bitnar) under the Creative Commons Attribution license.
