Move a cable through ice

Ice is ideal for many scientific experiments and research. It’s cheap, easy to do and always fun to experiment.

Today we are going to try a brilliantCience trick where a wire crosses an ice cube. In general, ice must be heated to melt, but it can also make ice melt adding pressure. We do this by adding weights to a thin cable placed on the ice cube.

You will need:

Thin wire, we use fishing rod wire

Ice cubes

1 or 2 pesos

Container to rest ice cubes in

How to move a cable through ice

Place an ice cube on top of a bowl. The ice cube must be stable.

Cut the cable to a length that adjusts on the ice cube but does not reach the surface when the weights are added.

Place a small weight at each end of the cable.

Place the cable on the ice cube so that the weights hang even on each side.

How is the Cut wire through ice?

When water freezes, it expands as water molecules are organized in an orderly disposal that occupies more space than when the molecules are free.

The cable adds pressure to the ice underneath, which melts the ice a bit. When the cable moves down, the water at the top freezes again. This continues as the cable moves through ice.

Don’t forget to try my other Ice experiments for children!

Last update on May 2, 2023 by Emma Vanstone