What are some cool experiments one could perform with dry ice?

[CrazCo]

Like maybe not complex ones, but ones that are just plain cool!

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

You can put some in a plastic bottle, put in some warm water, and then close the cap. Stand a safe distance away so you don't get plastic shrapnel injuries.

[DrP]

It's not so much an experiment as a childish prank, but I've always enjoyed dropping a couple of bits into a conical flask of water and leaving it somewhere in the lab. You can get some great looks on people faces when they walk by and don't know what the hell is bubbling away and emmiting smoke all over their desk!

[big314mp]

You can take a cup or so, and dump it in a garbage disposal (the grinder thing in a sink). Turn on the hot water, and then turn on the garbage disposal. It creates a kind of volcano like plume. You'll have to tweak the dry ice amount based on the size of your garbage disposal.

 

Dry ice in some rubbing alcohol will make the alcohol kind of viscous, IIRC. Looks kind of neat, but is also sorta boring.

[hermanntrude]

I did a class for 6-year-olds once, and i brought some dry ice. I put a peice in a rubber glove and tied up the end, then continued to talk. Over the next half-hour it inflated to a colossal size, which got the kids quite excited. I also did the warm water trick so there was a "potion" on the desk. The other trick I did was to put a small peice in a round-bottomed flask and put a rubber stopper in the neck, warm the base with my hand and the rubber stopper went flying...

[YT2095]

IF you do the plastic soda bottle thing (I personally wouldn`t), then take an air rifle with you to shoot it, just in case it doesn`t go off.

Don`t just leave it there for an animal or a child to find later!

[DrP]

Dry ice in some rubbing alcohol will make the alcohol kind of viscous, IIRC. Looks kind of neat, but is also sorta boring.

 

That can be very useful for making a sub zero 'ice' bath - Dry ice

 

IF you do the plastic soda bottle thing (I personally wouldn`t), then take an air rifle with you to shoot it, just in case it doesn`t go off.

Don`t just leave it there for an animal or a child to find later!

 

 

I don't like that experiment either - needlessly dangerous.

[jdurg]

A couple neat experiments are to take a SMALL amount and put it in a plastic bottle. The pressure will cause it to liquify in the bottom. Liquid CO2 is kind of neat. You can then unscrew the cap and it will INSTANTLY solidify into a snowlike dry ice. Pretty neat to see.

 

Another one is to take a chunk, hollow out the middle, and place some burning Magnesium into it. Then, cover everything with the dry ice and watch the Mg burn brilliantly in the dry ice. VERY neat to watch.

[Gilded]

Burning magnesium in dry ice is kind of nifty. Here's an example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OaeSdaaQeE