HOOKED ON SCIENCE: The science of homemade ice cream

Here's a science experiment that will help keep you cool when Mother Nature turns up the heat.

Ingredients

• Sugar
• Crushed ice
• Milk
• Salt
• Vanilla
• Crushed ice
• Quart-size Ziploc bags
• Gallon-size Ziploc bag
• Gloves

Instructions

STEP 1: Place 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1/2 cup of milk and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla into the quart-size Ziploc bag.

STEP 2: Remove as much air as you can and seal the Ziploc bag.

STEP 3: Place 4 cups of crushed ice into the gallon-size Ziploc bag and add 4 tablespoons of salt.

STEP 4: Place the quart size Ziploc bag filled with sugar, milk and vanilla into the gallon size Ziploc bag filled with the ice and salt mixture.

STEP 5: Seal up the gallon size Ziploc bag.

STEP 6: Put on your gloves and shake for about 5 to 10 minutes.

Explanation

Salt lowered the freezing point of water, which allowed the sugar, milk and vanilla mixture to freeze at a temperature below 32 degrees.

Jason Lindsey is a Science Outreach Educator for the Bootheel Youth Museum. Check out his Web site "Hooked On Science" at hookedonscience.org for webcasts and experiments that might get you hooked on science. Send him your science questions at jlindsey@bootheelyouthmuseum.org. More science experiments can be found at www.semissourian.com.