Activity ONE

Three experimental questions to answer:

1. Does hot water or cold water freeze faster? 

2. Does hot water or cold water boil faster? 

3. Does salt water freeze faster or slower than regular water?

Materials and Set up:

Experiment ONE:

-HYPOTHESIS: I hypothesize that the cold water will freeze faster than hot water. I predict that the cold water will freeze first because it is closer to a freezing temperature than the hot water.

DATA

Boiling Test
	Cold Water	Hot Water
First Trial		x
Second Trial		x
Third Trial		x

I observed the hot water boiled faster than the cold water every time. The time it took for the hot water versus the cold water to boil was about a 20 second difference each trial.

Experiment TWO:

-HYPOTHESIS: I hypothesize that the hot water will boil faster than the cold water. I predict that the hot water will boil first because it is closer to a boiling temperature than the cold water.

DATA:

Freeze Test
	Cold Water	Hot Water
First Trial	X
Second Trial	X
Third Trial		X

I observed that the cold water froze faster than the hot water a majority of the time, but it did not freeze exceptionally faster than the hot water.

Experiment THREE:

-HYPOTHESIS: I hypothesize that the regular water will freeze before the salt water. I predict this will happen because we put salt on icy roads to make them melt faster—not freeze.

DATA

Salt Water Test
	Salt Water	Regular Water
First Trial		x
Second Trial		x
Third Trial		x

I observed that the regular water froze faster than the salt water every time.

Controlled Variables:
-Amount of water
-Temperature of freezer
-Temperature of stove

My theory for these experiments is that when water is already near the temperature you are trying to get it to, it boils or freezes faster. Because the water was already hot, it boiled faster than cold water and because the water was already cold, it froze faster than hot water. The speed of the water molecules affects the time in which water freezes or boils.

 Image:

 

 Video:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moITG5Q7zzI via Canada Museum of Nature

The scientific method is a series of steps to acquire knowledge and test a theory or hypothesis. The steps are to hypothesize, predict, experiment, observe, and conclude. In this experiment I hypothesized what would happen to the water. I made predictions of why something would happen. I conducted experiments and made observations. Lastly, I drew a conclusion from my data which led to a theory.

I noticed that my data was consistent and repetitive throughout all the experiments.

                I began this activity by hypothesizing what I believed the results would be of each experiment. After making a hypothesis, I planned out my experiments. I gathered materials and made a procedure for each experiment. Once I conducted the experiments I learned that the speed of the water molecules affects the time in which water freezes or boils.

                For this activity, I broke the questions into three separate experiments. For each experiment, I made a hypothesis and data table. The data tables are broke into two columns and three rows. I made checks next to the water that boiled or froze fastest. For the actual experiments, I measured out two cups of water. I added three table spoons of salt to the water and let it dissolve. When I boiled the water, I watched two separate pots until one started boiling. When I froze the water, I frequently checked on the containers to see which one was starting freeze first. These experiments led to the conclusion that hot water boils faster than cold water, cold water freezes faster than hot water, and regular water freezes faster than salt water.

                I can relate the information I learned from this activity to real-world situations. In the winter, we put salt on the roads and sidewalks to increase the freezing temperature of the water and allow the ice to melt for safety reasons. When I make spaghetti, I will now begin with warm water when I start boiling the noodles.