The Incredible Science

Behind Frozone
Anthony Caison
Nick Mruk
Abby Weitkamp
 Is it possible to freeze water
instantly like Frozone is able
to do?
 The
Experiment
 Materials and Equipment
4 Large tubs
Ice
Pure NaCl
Rock salt (a.k.a. Ice cream salt)
Distilled water
Venier
4 Transparent plastic cups
4 Beakers
Piece of cardboard (e.g., empty cereal box)
Scissors
Bottled water
Watch plate
Timer
 Procedure
1. Cut circles out of cardboard box with the same circumference
as the plastic cups.
2. Put cups in tubs
3. Fill tubs with ice so that the ice completely surrounds the
cup.
4. Sprinkle 5 tablespoons of NaCl into 2 of the tubs and 5
tablespoons of rock salt into the other 2 tubs.
5. Fill 2 beakers with 50 mL of bottled water and fill the other 2
with 50 mL of distilled water.
6. Pour the water from the beakers into the cups submerged in
the ice. Be sure to place one of each type of water with the
different salts.
7. Cover the cups with the cardboard circles.
8. Pour 3 cups of tap water into each tub.
9. Add 3 more tablespoons of the salts to their respective tubs.
10. Place the veiner probe into the cup of water.
11. Start the timer.
12. Wait until the temperature reaches between -1 and -3,
then remove the cups of water from the tubs.
13. Drop an ice cube into the cup of water or slowly pour the
water onto the ice cube resting on the watch plate in order to
snap freeze it.
 The
Science
 Colligative Properties
Colligative properties are the physical changes that
result from adding solute to a solvent.

Colligative Properties depend on the amount of

solute and solvent, but they do NOT depend on the
type of solute.

Solute - Substance that is dissolved into another

substance
Solvent - Dissolves the solute

Example - Freezing Point Depression

The freezing points of solutions are all lower
than that of the pure solvent.
 Freezing Point Depression
The addition of solutes (salt) into the solution (ice) causes a
decreased freezing point of a pure solvent (water). This is
called the freezing point depression.

This explains why roads are salted in preparation for snow

or ice. By putting salt on the roads, the freezing point of the
ice or snow decreases; thus, causing the ice or snow to
melt.

In our experiment, the ice bath allowed us to decrease the

freezing point of the water in the cup.
 Supercooling
Supercooling - water cools below the
normal freezing point but remains liquid.

Some clouds are made of supercooled

water but this can be dangerous to
airplanes.

In our experiment, the decreased

freezing point due to the ice bath
supercooled the water in the cup.
 Snap Freezing
Snap Freezing - When ice is added to
supercooled water, it acts to catalyze the
freezing of the liquid.

Tissue are snap froze to eliminate the risks of

contamination and variation in molecular
integrity.

This snap freezing occurred around -3 in our

experiment. We completed two different types:
Dropping an ice cube into supercooled
water
Slowly pouring supercooled water on top of
an ice cube
 Works Cited
"Colligative Properties." LibreTexts, UCDavis,
chem.libretexts.org/Core/Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry/Physical_Properties_of_Matter/Solutions_and_Mixtures/Colli
gative_Properties. Accessed 9 May 2017.

"Freezing Point Depression." LibreTexts, UCDavis,

chem.libretexts.org/Core/Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry/Physical_Properties_of_Matter/Solutions_and_Mixtures/Colli
gative_Properties/Freezing_Point_Depression. Accessed 9 May 2017.

"Snap Freezing." Biocision, www.biocision.com/applications/snap-freezing. Accessed 9 May 2017.

"Snap-Freezing of Tissue Samples." Biocision, www.biocision.com/uploads/docs/BioCision_Snap_Freezing_Protocol.pdf.

Accessed 10 May 2017.

"Supercooling Water and Snap Freezing." Science Buddies,

www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_ideas/Phys_p033.shtml#background. Accessed 10 May 2017.

"Supercooled Water." Questacon, Australian Government Department of Industry and Science ,

www.questacon.edu.au/outreach/programs/science-circus/activities/supercooled-water. Accessed 10 May 2017.