What Are Some Very Simple Science Experiments That Can Be Done Involving Dry Ice (solid Carbon Dioxide)?

Don't forget dry ice is extremely dangerous to handle without gloves or tongs.

1. From solid to air and back again.
Put a little pellet of dry ice in a small
test tube. Insert top of test tube into the mouth of a deflated balloon. To inflate the balloon, warm the test tube with your hands. When warm enough, the dry ice will evaporate (sublimate). To delfate the balloon, place the test tube in liquid nitrogen. Dry ice will condense out of the air, sticking to the side of the test tube. The balloon deflates, and may even collapse into the test tube.


2. Why is it called dry ice?
Get two plates. On one place an ordinary ice cube. On the other place a pellet of dry ice. What will be left on each plate after the two types of ice "melt"? Obviously "nothing" visible is left of the "dry ice".


3. Clouds
Place a pellet of dry ice in a glass of warm water. Discuss the composition of the resulting "cloud".


4. Bubbles and smoke
Repeat experiment (3), but with Fairy Liquid (or other dish soap) in the water. Note the CO2-H2O steam is heavier than ordinary water, and the bubbles fall to the ground.

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