Arbor Scientific Ice Melting Experiment Kit - Aluminum & Foam Blocks, O-Rings & Instructions

I saw this at a science conference. What a great way to discuss the transfer of heat in an unexpected way.

I bought four sets of these after seeing a colleague use them. I teach science education courses at a small university and these are perfect for discussions about heat and temperature. They work great as a discrepant event for children and many adults alike. Highly recommended though a little cheaper would be even better.

Great demo for my students and worked even faster than expected. The ice cube on one block started to melt rapidly the minute I sat it down, while on the plastic block it took about 30 minutes. Really shows the difference between a conductor and an insulator.

I teach high school Chemistry, and these blocks are a great demo for explaining heat conduction. If you ask your students whether ice will melt faster on the "colder" block or the "warmer" block (they're both at room temperature), you will find that the vast majority will get it wrong. The "colder" one feels colder because it is a good heat conductor and allows heat to escape out of your hand easily. Since both blocks are warmer than the ice, the one that conducts heat better (the colder one) will melt the ice dramatically faster than the poor heat conductor.

I have seen these online before, but they really made a great beginning to our Thermochemistry unit. Arbor was terrific in sending them quickly.

I was expecting to have a wait a bit to see a difference between the two plates. It's immediate!

Great demonstration of conductivity. Ice on the aluminum block melts real quick! Generated a good discussion on why the aluminum feels much cooler than the plastic block - for 5th graders!

Kids thought this was great, when the ice melting in just seconds