Water can freeze and melt — Physical education, 4–6 years
When water gets cold enough it becomes solid ice, and when ice warms up it becomes liquid water again.
From water to ice and back
Liquid water can flow and be poured. If it becomes cold enough, it freezes into solid ice, which keeps its own shape. When ice gets warmer, it melts and becomes liquid water again; it is still water, just in a different form.
Why water changes form
We need to understand this change to make ice, keep food cold and know why frozen puddles disappear. Cold slows the movement inside water until it forms ice; warmth makes the ice change back. Watching these changes helps us predict what will happen to water.
Making an ice cube
Fill an ice tray with liquid water and place it in a freezer. After a few hours, take out one cube: it is solid and keeps the tray’s shape. Leave it on a plate; after some time it becomes a puddle, because the ice has melted into liquid water.
The ice has not vanished
When an ice cube melts, it may look as if it has disappeared. The water is still there, but it has spread into a thin, hard-to-see puddle. This mistake makes sense because the solid cube was easy to see and the liquid can be almost invisible.
Ice in daily life
Freezers turn water into ice so drinks can be cooled and food can stay frozen. In winter, water in a puddle may freeze, then melt when the air or sun warms it. Ice packs use the same change to help keep something cold for a while.
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