Uploaded November 2019 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
No idea how to spend a cold winter evening? Have we got an idea for you!
Equipment: portable stove, heat-resistant glass, sodium acetate, watch glass, stick, plate.
Put a heat-resistant glass of sodium acetate on a portable stove. Be sure to cover it with a watch glass to prevent too much water from evaporating. Heat the sodium acetate until it becomes a transparent yellowish liquid. Let cool to room temperature. If you toss a crystal or any other object into the liquid sodium acetate, it will immediately begin to crystallize. You can even build a tower with liquid sodium acetate!
Sodium acetate is a sodium salt of acetic acid. Most often, it exists as a hydrate, bonded to 3 water molecules. It also possesses a curious property – when heated, it dissolves in the water present in its own structure, yielding a supersaturated solution of sodium acetate. When the solution cools, a crystal, a speck of dust, or even the touch of a finger can start the crystallization process. The resulting crystals have a beautiful needle structure and look like snow or ice. As the reaction releases a large amount of heat, this experiment is called "hot ice”.
Enjoy more cool experiments with a MEL Chemistry subscription!
Safety precautions: perform this experiment only under adult supervision.
No idea how to spend a cold winter evening? Have we got an idea for you!
Equipment: portable stove, heat-resistant glass, sodium acetate, watch glass, stick, plate.
Put a heat-resistant glass of sodium acetate on a portable stove. Be sure to cover it with a watch glass to prevent too much water from evaporating. Heat the sodium acetate until it becomes a transparent yellowish liquid. Let cool to room temperature. If you toss a crystal or any other object into the liquid sodium acetate, it will immediately begin to crystallize. You can even build a tower with liquid sodium acetate!
Sodium acetate is a sodium salt of acetic acid. Most often, it exists as a hydrate, bonded to 3 water molecules. It also possesses a curious property – when heated, it dissolves in the water present in its own structure, yielding a supersaturated solution of sodium acetate. When the solution cools, a crystal, a speck of dust, or even the touch of a finger can start the crystallization process. The resulting crystals have a beautiful needle structure and look like snow or ice. As the reaction releases a large amount of heat, this experiment is called "hot ice”.
Enjoy more cool experiments with a MEL Chemistry subscription!
Safety precautions: perform this experiment only under adult supervision.
