Hooked on Science: Levitating bubbles

Materials

• Small aquarium
• Gloves
• Thermometer
• Bubble solution
• Dry ice
• Warm water

Instructions

• STEP 1: With the gloves on your hands, place a piece of dry ice on the bottom of the small aquarium. Using the thermometer, determine the temperature of the dry ice. Is the dry ice a solid or a liquid and why? Describe the dry ice by using its observable properties.
• STEP 2: Add warm water to the aquarium. Is the water a solid or a liquid and why? Describe the water by using its observable properties. Describe what happens when the warm water is added to the aquarium.
• STEP 3: Using the bubble solution, blow bubbles so they fall into the aquarium. Describe what happens to the bubbles in the aquarium. Describe the bubbles by using their observable properties.

Explanation

When warm water is added to the dry ice, which is frozen carbon-dioxide gas, the dry ice sublimates, meaning it goes from a solid to a gas. The bubbles are less dense than the carbon dioxide gas and float on the cushion of gas.