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  1. Science
  2. Year 4
  3. States of Matter
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Ice Investigations

In this worksheet, students will learn how water changes when it freezes and melts.

'Ice Investigations' worksheet

Key stage:  KS 2

Curriculum topic:  States of Matter

Curriculum subtopic:  Heating and Cooling

Difficulty level:  

down

Worksheet Overview

QUESTION 1 of 10

Water may be a very common substance, but it is also very special. It is the only material that we can find as a liquid, a solid and a gas at everyday temperatures. In this worksheet we will explore some of the properties of solid water, commonly known as ice!

 

Take a glass of water and drop some ice cubes into it. What happens to the level of water in the glass?

It goes up.

It stays the same.

It goes down.

Leave the ice cubes to melt in the water. What happens to the level of water in the glass now?

It goes up.

It stays the same.

It goes down.

Take two ice cubes and sprinkle a little salt on one of them. What happens?

The ice cube without the salt melts faster.

The salty cube melts faster.

Both cubes melt at the same time.

Carefully fill an ice cube tray to the top with water and put in the freezer. Once it has frozen take it out and have a look at it. What do you see?

The ice cubes have shrunk down in the tray.

The ice cubes are at the same level as the water when you poured it in.

The ice cubes have expanded above the top of the tray.

How much of the Earth's water is in the form of snow or ice?

 

half

a quarter

a tenth

a fiftieth

Why do icebergs float?

Because ice expands as it freezes so it is less dense than water.

Because icebergs touch the bottom of the ocean.

  • ANSWERS
  • Question 1

Take a glass of water and drop some ice cubes into it. What happens to the level of water in the glass?

CORRECT ANSWER
It goes up.
EDDIE SAYS
When you put the ice in the water it pushes some of the water out of the way, making the level go up.
  • ANSWERS
  • Question 2

Leave the ice cubes to melt in the water. What happens to the level of water in the glass now?

CORRECT ANSWER
It stays the same.
EDDIE SAYS
Even though some of the ice was above the water as it floated in the glass, the water level stays the same when the ice melts.
  • ANSWERS
  • Question 3

Take two ice cubes and sprinkle a little salt on one of them. What happens?

CORRECT ANSWER
The salty cube melts faster.
EDDIE SAYS
Adding salt to the ice lowers the temperature at which it freezes so it will melt more quickly. In freezing weather grit, which contains salt, is spread on roads to stop them becoming icy.
  • ANSWERS
  • Question 4

Carefully fill an ice cube tray to the top with water and put in the freezer. Once it has frozen take it out and have a look at it. What do you see?

CORRECT ANSWER
The ice cubes have expanded above the top of the tray.
EDDIE SAYS
When water freezes it expands. This is why water pipes sometimes burst in very cold weather.
  • ANSWERS
  • Question 5

How much of the Earth's water is in the form of snow or ice?

 

CORRECT ANSWER
a fiftieth
EDDIE SAYS
Two per cent, or a fiftieth, of the water on Earth is frozen.
  • ANSWERS
  • Question 6

Why do icebergs float?

CORRECT ANSWER
Because ice expands as it freezes so it is less dense than water.
EDDIE SAYS
Because water expands as it freezes it means that any weight of liquid water takes up less space than the same weight of ice. Because the ice is less dense than the water it floats. You can see this happen when you float ice cubes in a drink.
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