Bursting Dry Ice Smoke Bubbles - Halloween Science

Key Concepts

• Dry Ice: Solid form of carbon dioxide (CO2) gas.
• Carbon Dioxide (CO2): A colorless, odorless gas, which in its solid form (dry ice) sublimes directly into gas at room temperature.
• Sublimation: The process where a substance changes directly from a solid to a gas without passing through a liquid phase.
• Temperature: Extreme cold associated with dry ice.
• Dish Soap: Used as a surfactant to trap carbon dioxide gas in bubbles.
• Carbon Dioxide Fog: The visible vapor created when dry ice sublimes in water.

Introduction to Dry Ice: Properties and Safety

The video introduces dry ice as a popular Halloween staple, identifying it as frozen carbon dioxide gas. A key characteristic highlighted is its extremely low temperature: 110 degrees below zero Fahrenheit (-78 degrees below zero Celsius). Due to this extreme cold, direct skin contact is unsafe, necessitating the use of protective gear like gloves. Dry ice is readily available at grocery stores. When placed on a surface, it produces a distinct "scream" sound, attributed to its rapid vibration.

Creating the Bubbling Effect

The first experiment demonstrates how to create a dramatic bubbling effect using dry ice. The process involves:

1. Materials: Graduated cylinders (often found at Halloween or craft stores), food coloring, warm water, and dry ice.
2. Preparation: A small amount of food coloring is added to the water in each graduated cylinder to enhance visual appeal.
3. Execution: Dry ice is dropped into the water. The presenter emphasizes that warm water is more effective than cold water for generating vigorous bubbling. This interaction causes the dry ice to sublime, releasing carbon dioxide gas and creating a visually striking bubbling effect.

The Touchable Carbon Dioxide Bubbles Experiment

Building upon the initial bubbling demonstration, the video introduces an advanced technique to create touchable carbon dioxide bubbles. This extension involves:

1. Addition of Dish Soap: After the dry ice begins bubbling in the water, a small amount of dish soap is added to the mixture.
2. Mechanism: The dish soap acts as a trapping agent, allowing the carbon dioxide gas and fog to be encapsulated within soap bubbles.
3. Safety and Interaction: Once trapped, these bubbles are described as "perfectly safe to touch." This allows participants, particularly children, to interact directly by reaching in and grabbing the carbon dioxide-filled bubbles. The presenter notes that while "a little bit less [soap] would be great," using "a little bit more is not a bad idea" for a "big show."
4. Duration: The effect is long-lasting, with the bubbles continuously forming, capable of keeping children "busy for hours and hours."

Applications and Conclusion

The presenter, Steve Spangler, positions these dry ice experiments as an "amazing Halloween party" activity, promising a "blast" for participants. He strongly advises that such activities require "a lot of adult supervision" due to the nature of dry ice. The segment concludes with Steve Spangler identifying himself and humorously labeling the demonstration as their "extremely messy Halloween science minute," underscoring the fun and engaging, albeit potentially untidy, nature of the experiments.