Dry Ice Boat | STEM Experiment

Dry Ice Boat is a super easy experiment where the dry ice will sail without any gears or propellers. When kids saw the boat sails spinning on the water, most of them will scream WOW. 

Age: 6+          Time: <20min

 Safety 

1. your skin is not to touch the dry ice.

2. Adult supervision

 Materials List 

• Try
• Water
• Food coloring
• Dry ice
• Hammer
• Protective gloves

 Instruction 

Step 1/3 – Use a hammer to break the dry ice into small pieces.

Step 2/3 – Pour the right amount of water into the plate and add 2~3 drops of food color.

Step 3/3 – Then, select smooth and flat dry ice pieces and put them in the water. Dry ice will move like a boat.

 Troubleshooting 

Why my dry ice boat can not move?

— Make sure the dry ice is small enough and has a smooth surface.

 Scientific Description 

Dry ice is the solid form of carbon dioxide which is the gas under room temperature. The dry ice will sublimate (the physic process that solid turns into gas directly) into carbon dioxide under the room temperature. The sublimating process makes the surrounding environment super cold and causes water vapor in the air to condense. That is where the fog comes from. The boat moves because of the newton’s third law - every action has an equal and opposite reaction. When the dry ice gives off the gas it makes the boat sail in the opposite direction. So, it is the carbon dioxide gas that pushes the boat forward.

 Extensions  

1. You can hold a dry ice boat race competition with your kids.

2. You can power a foam boat with the washing soap. Check out our washing soap powered boat.