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Does the shape of an ice cube affect how long it takes to melt?

Hannah Meserve

Baldwin

Period 5

11-5-20

Word Count: 856

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Hannah Meserve

Mr. Baldwin

Physical Science

Period 5

11-5-20

Does the shape of an ice cube affect how long it melts?

One question constantly asked is, “does the shape of an ice cube affect how long it

melts,” well that is what this article is looking into. Several websites were researched to find the

answer. Some people may have tried this at home, or experienced it with a friend, but an

official answer is coming up. Continue reading and learn about 3 questions that will help do this

experiment right. So keep reading to find the answer. At the end of this article, the answer to

this bewildering question will be revealed for all to see.

One of the first questions leading up to the main question is ‘does the area of an ice

cube affect how long it melts?’ ​“​Ice cubes melt the fastest when they have the most possible

surface area relative to their volume,” (All Right Reserved) so the bigger the area the faster an

ice cube melts. “T​he surface area of an ice cube takes on heat from the room, assuming the

room is above freezing and causes the ice to melt,” (IXL Learning) meaning that ice absorbs heat

and the thermal energy causes the ice to melt. “For ice to melt, it must gain energy from the

surroundings” (Nuffield Foundation) saying ice melts by collecting energy.​“The shape of the

rectangular prism ice cube is the flattest and has the most surface area,” (All Right Reserve) so

now there is evidence saying that a rectangular shaped ice cube melts faster than a crescent

shape ice cube because a “crescent-shaped​ ​cube will melt the slowest​.”​ (All Right Reserve) So
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the area and volume of an ice cube matter. “​Greater degree of surface area will melt faster

than a cube of ice that is of a similar volume,” (Ask Media Group) saying that volume matters

just as well as area. If this experiment is done at home using the same type of water.

The second question revolving around ‘does the shape of an ice cube affect how long it

melts,’ is ‘does the type of water you use affect how long it melts?’ “Salt lowers the

freezing/melting point of water/ice.” (Clearway) So salt can slow down the melting process

which is probably going to be pretty helpful in an experiment. “...ice with a small amount of salt

added…,”(Siemens Foundation) saying that salt can slow down the amount of energy ice

absorbs. So if this experiment is being performed at home make sure to use the same type of

water, maybe tap water melts faster than bottled water. But that is a question for later on.

The last related question is 'does the material/surface of an ice cube melt on affect the

speed?’ A couple of websites were quite useful. Did you know that ice melts faster on glass

than plastic? “​The Peters Chemical Company said calcium chloride melts ice fastest,” (​Hadley)

so if an ice cube wants to melt fastest it’s going to need calcium chloride. “E​xperts agree that

calcium chloride is the best ice melt for concrete surfaces,”(​Marschhause)​ so the ice melts

fastest on cement. Although, “...​the metal block, despite being colder than the wooden block,

transfers its heat energy much faster…” (Smith) so out of metal and wood melts ice melt

slower.

So now the official answer to ‘does the shape of an ice cube affect how lon​g it melts?’

So​ the volume and area of an ice cube matters, alongside with the type of water used. Now feel

free to try this experiment at home, and don’t be afraid to do a little research. Now, try to

remember to melt your ice on the same surface and put in the same amount of water.
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Works Cited

Alex. (2020, July 12). How Long Does It Take For An Ice Cube To Melt? Retrieved
November 02, 2020, from https://howmonk.com/how-long-for-an-ice-cube-to-melt/

Education.com, I. (2013, January 03). Ice Melting: Science project. Retrieved October
29, 2020, from https://www.education.com/science-fair/article/ice-melting/

Foundation, N. (2013). Melting Ice. Retrieved November 2, 2020, from

https://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/sites/default/files/files/Melting%20ice%20-%
20merged%20PDF.pdf

Gillespie, C. (2019, March 02). Ice Cubes Melting Process. Retrieved October 29, 2020,
from ​https://sciencing.com/ice-cubes-melting-process-5415212.html

Group, C. (2020, January 17). Ice Melting Experiment for Kids. Retrieved November
02, 2020, from
https://www.clearwaycommunitysolar.com/blog/science-center-home-experiments-
f

Hadley, C. (2019, March 02). What Materials Will Make an Ice Cube Melt Faster?
Retrieved November 02, 2020, from
https://sciencing.com/materials-ice-cube-melt-faster-6156399.html

or-kids/global-warming-ice-melting-experiment-for-kids/

LLC, A. (2020). Does the Shape of Ice Affect the Speed at Which It Melts? Retrieved
October 29, 2020, from
https://www.reference.com/article/shape-ice-affect-speed-melts-547d9aaac778d24
2?ad=dirN

Marschhause, C. (2020, July 1). What is the best ice melt for concrete? Retrieved
November 02, 2020, from
https://findanyanswer.com/what-is-the-best-ice-melt-for-concrete

Q & A: Ice Cube Shape vs Melting. (2007, October 22). Retrieved November 02, 2020,
from ​https://van.physics.illinois.edu/qa/listing.php?id=1578

Reserved, A. (2020). Which Ice Cube Melts Faster. Retrieved October 29, 2020, from
https://findanyanswer.com/which-ice-cubes-melt-faster