How to Make Hot Ice With Sodium Acetate

Sodium Acetate is a compound produced in large industrial quantities for a variety of uses. Because the compound has an exothermic nature, meaning that it generates heat, it is often found in common products such as heat compresses and hand glove warmers. Because it is inexpensive, it often finds itself used in science fairs and as a toy of choice for amateur chemists. One such playful use of sodium acetate works on the same principles that make the product useful for heat compresses.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Sodium acetate
• Small sauce pan
• Water

1. Fill a small sauce pan will water and heat it until it is near boiling. Boiling is too hot, but a small amount of simmering is okay. The main thing is to make the water hot.

2. Dissolve as much sodium acetate into the water as possible. The more you dissolve into the water, the more dense the crystals will be when they form the hot ice. Keep stirring in as much as possible until you can no longer get the sodium acetate to dissolve in the water. It is important to stir the mixture constantly at this stage.

3. Know that when the mixture is completely dissolved, pour it into a glass or other container. Make sure to only pour the water with dissolved sodium acetate into the glass. If any sodium acetate remains undissolved, leave it in the bottom of the pan as you pour.

4. Place the glass in your refrigerator to allow the water to cool.

5. Be aware that after the mixture has cooled, pour some into a tray, mold or whatever container you wish to hold the hot ice. As you pour it into the tray, note that it remains in liquid form.

6. Touch the top of the liquid with the tip of your finger. You do not need to dip your finger or hold it on the liquid. Just a quick tap is all that is needed. Hot ice crystals will instantly form where you touch and will spread through the mixture until every drop of liquid is in a frozen but hot crystalline state. In just one second you will have hot ice.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not dip your finger all the way into the mixture, as it "freezes" into a solid state instantly.
• Although one of the uses of sodium acetate is to provide flavoring to salt and vinegar potato chips, it is still a chemical compound and it is not recommended to place this "ice" in beverages.

[laurenpertierra]

on 12/31/2009 All of the steps are right only for the last one.You forgot to add one more thing. Yes you do touch the liquid with your finger like you said, only before you touch it put a little bit of sodium acetate (The one you used to dissolve at near boiling water.)on your finger and then touch it. If you don't, it won't work.

[cardinare]

on 3/10/2009 i tryed this and it it didnt work