What Makes Ice Melt?

The phenomena of ice melting is one of the many scientific events we take for granted. While the short answer for what makes ice melt is heat, there is more to it than that.

Molecules

A small piece of ice is made up of millions of molecules. Because ice is lacking heat, the molecules move slowly and stay closer to each other, hence ice's solid nature

Adding Heat

When heat is added to ice, the molecules start to move around, or jiggle. The molecules on the outside of the ice start to move first. As their movement increases with addition of heat they move away from the solid whole to find their own moving space.

Molecules Separate Completely

Eventually all the molecules that made up the ice have gained enough heat that they find their own space to move around. At this point, the ice is completely melted.

References

• Newton BBS: How Does Ice Melt?
• Whzz: Why Does Ice Melt