Coolest Dry Ice Experiments You'll Ever See

Dry ice has a wide range of exciting uses from colorful explosions to DIY ice cream. Its extremely cold temperature and unusual properties make it one of the coolest materials science has discovered. Let's delve into some of the coolest dry ice experiments!

Explosive Dry Ice

Most of us have given the mentos and coke challenge a try at some point there’s nothing more fun than a simple, yet explosive reaction using basic ingredients. Dry ice steps it up a notch. The icy material, which is actually just carbon dioxide or CO2 in solid form, can get pretty chilly: as low as negative 110 Fahrenheit, or minus 78 degrees Celsius.

So if you get hold of some, be sure to wear gloves. Because of the drastic temperature difference, pouring hot water on dry ice releases a large amount of energy, which is what causes all the atmospheric fog. If you contain that chemical reaction, things can get pretty intense. As the high-energy particles of CO2 and water vapor begin to bounce around faster and faster, they exert more and more force on the walls of their container.

Using high-grade lab equipment will eliminate that issue, but where’s the fun in that? I wanted to see what would happen if you contain the reaction in plastic bottles, each containing hot water and some chunks of dry ice. As you can see in the footage below, like King Kong in the arctic, that cold beast refuses to be contained, and bursts out of the bottles in a fantastic explosion. Don’t try this one at home!

Bubble Worm

To do that awesome trick all you need to do is mix hot water, dish soap, and a heap of dry ice together in a large bowl. Before you know it, you’ll have your very own hyperactive bubble beast. Watch it burst out from the previously-calm water like something out of Ridley Scott’s sketchbook, turning your pristine home into a Lovecraftian bubble rave.

Bubble Trouble

Little smoke bubbles are fun, sure, but let’s go bigger. With a simple trick, you can turn your bubble worm into a huge, expanding jellyfish. All you need to do is take a large bowl, fill it half way with warm water, add some dish soap and stir thoroughly. Next, drop a couple of large chunks of dry ice in.

After that, take some rope, or a twisted cloth, and dip it in a mix of water and dish soap. Rub the mix around the rim of the bowl, then drag the cloth directly across the top of the bowl.

That will create a film over the top, which will slowly fill with smoke, inflating into a giant bubble. Eventually, it will pop, in an oddly satisfying burst of white mist.

Smoke Rings

This one takes a little bit of preparation. Cut a round hole in the base of a plastic cup and seal the open end with cellophane and rubber bands. Then, pour in some warm water and a couple small chunks of dry ice. Once you see the smoke start to rise, hold the cup on its side and tap the cellophane-covered side. You’ll be blowing smoke rings like the best of them, without any of the health risks!

For an even more exciting spectacle, swap the cup for a plastic trash bin, and use a cut-up shower curtain and duct tape to seal the opening. Cut a hole in the base of the bin as round as possible. You’ll need a lot more dry ice for that, but if you get it right, there’ll be enough force in your smoke rings to knock over objects like plastic bottles. More ways to annoy people.

Atmospheric Fog

Ever felt like your home might be lacking something? Well, it turns out it is. Your home is in desperate need of some atmospheric fog! Bless your place with the charming atmosphere of a haunted mansion from a classic horror flick with the next simple trick. Load up a large container with big chunks of dry ice and pour on generous amounts of hot water, the hotter the better.

For great results, place the bowl in your kitchen sink. The CO2 and water vapor, which is heavier than air, will spread itself along the surfaces before tumbling down onto the floor. In no time, the room will be filled with a thick fog that’ll turn your home into the most popular werewolf meeting place in town!

Crunching Flowers With Dry Ice In Alcohol

One of the most incredible things about dry ice is what it can do to soft materials. When dry ice is mixed with ethanol, the alcohol reaches very low temperatures. However, as ethanol’s freezing point is even lower than the chilly temperature of dry ice, it remains in a liquid state. If you dip a piece of jelly candy, like a gummy worm or gummy bear, into the mixture, it’ll become rock solid and can be shattered like glass.

And what’s even more satisfying is when you dip a flower into the liquid. It turns brittle, and crumbles in your hand, with a satisfying, crispy crunch.

Bubble Bobble

For an awesome effect that appears to defy gravity, try out this next experiment. Place some dry ice in a bowl, and crush it into small chunks. Blow some bubbles into the bowl and watch in amazement as they appear to hover and bob along in mid-air above the dry ice, without falling to the bottom.

The science there is pretty interesting: as the dry ice sits in the bowl, it slowly evaporates into gas. However, as carbon dioxide gas is heavier than air, instead of floating upwards, it remains in the bowl, slowly filling it up like a liquid. That means the bubbles are floating in an invisible pool, presumably with margheritas and little cocktail umbrellas. Though to be honest, that particular pool party sounds a little chilly for my liking.

Dry Ice vs Fire

Here’s a neat bit of science for you. Place a few pieces of dry ice into a regular drinking glass. Let the ice and the glass get to know each other for a moment. Once they’ve told a few anecdotes and broken the ice light a match, and try to put it in the glass. You’ll find the match goes out instantly, every time.

No matter how quick you are, or how frustrated you become. That is because your typical flame needs oxygen to burn. The dry ice gives off carbon dioxide, which displaces the oxygen, leaving the flame unable to continue burning. It’s why they use CO2 in a lot of fire extinguishers in most cases, CO2 is fire’s worst enemy. They’ve even blocked each other on all social media.

Bubble Machine

The next one will have your room looking like a nutty professor’s laboratory. Start by cutting or burning a hole into the side of a plastic bottle near the top. Next, fill the bottle just under half way with warm water, and drop in some dry ice. After that, insert a straw into the hole, sealing it to the bottle with duct tape if necessary.

Dip the straw into some detergent and water and screw the cap on the bottle. You’ve built yourself a nifty little bubble machine. As each bubble comes out, put on some gloves and try to catch one you’ll be able to see the smoke inside up close.

Dry Ice Ice Cream

Ever wanted to make your own ice cream in a flash? It’s easier, and tastier, than you may think, with the help of dry ice. Place some crushed dry ice into a blender, and blend it until it reaches the consistency of powdery snow. In the meantime, pour 1 cup of milk, 1 cup of light cream, a tablespoon of sugar and a dash of vanilla extract into a tall glass. Remove the dry ice from the blender and whisk it into the glass until it thickens evenly.

That Ice-cream is going to be super cold at first, so put it in the freezer for a while. I know that seems counter-intuitive, but that is a crucial step, as it ensures that the dangerously-cold dry ice melts, while the frozen cream retains its texture.

Making Carbonated Drinks With Dry Ice

Carbonated beverages all work on the same principle, and that distinctive fizz is easier to achieve than you might think! Simply fill a plastic bottle with your drink of choice, place a small amount of dry ice inside, screw on the cap, and give it a good shake until it dissolves.

Make sure to take the cap of a few times during the process to release the pressure. Once the CO2 is dissolved, you’re ready to enjoy your freshly-fizzed beverage! For the more adventurous, you can also do that with fruit. Fill a cooler with the fruit of your choice, grapes work extremely well and layer it on top of some large chunks of dry ice. Leave the dry ice to melt overnight, and the next day you’ll be able to tuck into some oddly-delicious fizzy fruits.

Icicles

Another culinary treat: this next one is an extremely easy and quick way to make popsicles. Take a large block of dry ice and carve out a cylinder on the top, around an inch deep. Fill the crevasse with your sweet drink of choice, place a lolly pop stick so that it’s half submerged, and wait 10 minutes for the liquid to freeze.

Once completely frozen, wiggle the popsicle loose, and dunk it in a glass of water so it warms up a little. After that, it’s ready to eat. You can even use honey for the same effect, and watch in awe as its thickness causes it to bubble under the changing internal pressure.

Dry Ice Boat

While ice may have sunk the Titanic, our next bizarre experiment will allow you to create a fleet of your own self-driven ice-ships. Fill up a deep tray with water, adding a large amount of food coloring, until the water turns a very dark color. Next, grab some coin-sized chunks of dry ice and place them in the water. Immediately, they’ll come to life, spiraling and whizzing around like drunken sailors with the keys to their uncle’s speedboat. The darkness of the water allows you to see their pretty white trails as they whizz around.

Another option is to pierce a small hole in the side of a plastic bottle cap, place some dry ice inside along with a little bit of water, seal the bottom with cellophane, and place it in the water, watching it leave a brilliant white trail as it propels itself along.

Molten Metal vs Dry Ice

This experiment should not be tried at home! At the very least, you’ll ruin the carpet. At the worst, you’ll trigger an end-of-world scenario, and none of us want that! We wanted to see what would happen if we poured molten metals onto dry ice. The results speak for themselves. Initially, the pour height and temperature differences of the two substances combine into a violent eruption, and blobs of molten copper are launched into the air.

As the dry ice and molten copper get to know each other, the copper’s surface becomes more uniform in color as its individual blobs fuse back together. The sheer energy in the copper, which is approaching 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, can be clearly seen in the way it bounces and undulates on the dry ice.

That movement is likely a combination of the internal kinetic energy of the copper molecules, their interaction with the dry ice, and air escaping from underneath. Eventually the copper calms down a little, and even ends up looking quite cozy sunken into its new seat. But don’t let that fool you, liquid metal can be extremely dangerous, so don’t try that at home!

How To Make Dry Ice

And here's what you’ve all been waiting for. Let's delve into how you can make your own dry ice and the good news, it doesn’t even involve breaking into the nearest laboratory! You will, however, need a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher, a thick pair of protective gloves and an even thicker bag.

Place the bag over the spray nozzle of the fire extinguisher, using duct tape to form a seal. Remove the fire extinguisher’s safety pin and squeeze the handle for 3 to 5 seconds. Remove the bag, and ensuring your gloves don’t have any holes as even one can leave you frostbitten, pick up the solid lumps of carbon dioxide that have formed inside the bag.

I hope you were amazed at the coolest dry ice experiments! Have fun, but remember, dry ice isn’t a toy, and you’ll need to be careful; negative 110 is no joke! Thanks for reading.