Melt an ice cube fastest
You will compare ice on a plate with ice touching a room-temperature spoon. Both can melt without a heater, but keeping their starting size similar makes the race more useful.
- Science
- Explorer
- About 15 minutes
Grown-up needed: yes for setup, nearby supervision and handling water or small items
The film's tip mentions salt and warm hands. This page compares a plate with a room-temperature spoon and uses no salt or heat, so follow the page.
What you need
- Two similar ice cubes
- Two small plates
- A metal spoon
- A timer
- A grown-up
The rule
No hot water. No microwave.
How to do it
- Ask a grown-up to choose two similar cubes and room-temperature plates.
- Place one cube on each plate at the same time.
- Lay the room-temperature spoon against only one cube.
- Start the timer and leave both plates in the same place.
- Observe their shapes without adding any other substance.
- Record which melts first and how long each takes.
Why it works
Ice melts when it receives enough energy from its surroundings. Room-temperature metal can transfer heat to the ice faster than some other materials at the same temperature. That does not mean the spoon creates heat, and it can cool as the ice melts. Cube size and contact area also change the result. Two different starting cubes could make an unfair race, so compare similar cubes and keep the location steady.
Make it harder
- Compare the spoon bowl with its handle touching the cube.
- Repeat with cubes of more closely matched size.
- Find a faster arrangement using only room-temperature contact and no additives.
Ask Taz
- Why can a room-temperature spoon melt ice?
- Why does a larger cube take longer?
- Why does contact area change the melting speed?
For grown-ups
Stay nearby, use no salt, heaters or hot water, and dry spills before someone slips. The task distinguishes a material’s temperature from how quickly it transfers heat. No exact melting time is promised. Ask at dinner: “Would a cold spoon work like a room-temperature spoon, and how could you compare them?”
Taz is an AI and can be wrong, so stay close by. Read how safety works on Taz.
Show us yours
Film your hands and what you made, not your face or name. Ask a grown-up before posting anywhere else.
Questions parents ask
Can we use what we already have?
Start with the listed household materials. Keep the basic setup small and ask a grown-up to choose suitable items before beginning. The stated time is an estimate, so let the observation decide whether you need longer.
What should we record?
Note the prediction, the result and the one thing you changed. Keeping those separate helps a family discuss what happened without turning an activity into a competition.
Must the result be shared online?
No. A conversation at home is enough. If you choose to share, keep identifying details out and follow the grown-up permission line above.
More to try
See all Taz Challenges, or look through the science labs. One place for every why. Ask for early access at aitaz.com
Try it in 3D: Heat transfer.