Science Experiments for Kids

Make a Big Dry Ice Bubble

Have fun making a dry ice bubble that will grow and grow as it fills with fog. This experiment
is a great one for adults to do with kids. Add water to the dry ice, cover it with a layer of
soapy water and watch your bubble grow, how big will it get before it bursts? Give it a try
and find out!

What you'll need:

 Water

 A large bowl with a lip around the top (a smaller bowl or cup will work too)

 A strip of material or cloth

 Soapy mixture for making bubbles (water and some dishwashing liquid should do the

trick)

 Dry ice - one piece for a cup, more for a bowl.

Safety first! Be careful with dry ice as it can cause skin damage if not used safely. Adults
should handle dry ice with gloves and avoid directly breathing in the vapour.

Instructions:

1. Place your dry ice in the bowl and add some water (it should start looking like a
   spooky cauldron).


2. Soak the material in your soapy mixture and run it around the lip of the bowl before
   dragging it across the top of the bowl to form a bubble layer over the dry ice.


3. Stand back and watch your bubble grow!

What's happening?

Dry ice is carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) in its solid form. At temperatures above -56.4 °C (-69.5 °F),
dry ice changes directly from a solid to a gas, without ever being a liquid. This process is
called sublimation. When dry ice is put in water it accelerates the sublimation process,
creating clouds of fog that fill up your dry ice bubble until the pressure becomes too much
and the bubble explodes, spilling fog over the edge of the bowl. Dry ice is sometimes used
as part of theatre productions and performances to create a dense foggy effect. It is also
used to preserve food, freeze lab samples and even to make ice cream!