Physics Experiment for 3-year-olds

Stefan has started showing an interest in ice cubes. He's fascinated by the clinking sound they make when in a glass as well as their cold- and wetness. And he's baffled, when they've suddenly disappeared. 'Mummy, iskump gone!' (Ice cube in Danish: Isklump, isklumper (pl.)) I've tried to explain about ice and heat, but felt I needed some visual aids, hence I created a physics experiment. (Before people, who know me, start to laugh, I'd like to share the relatively unknown fact that my friend (Sims then, Charlotte now) and I got the SECOND HIGHEST GRADE in our physics and chemistry exam in year 9. (All we seemed to have to do was to play with the geiger counter and locate the one item in the whole school, which had a tiny bit of radioactivity in it (some stone from Greenland) But still, a grade is a grade.))

THE EXPERIMENT:

I put an ice cube in a glass with a piece of paper on top (to illustrate to Stefan that he shouldn't touch the cube) and then told him to wait. This was made easier by the fact that we were in the middle of dinner at the commencement of the experiment. Asking a 3-year-old to sit still whilst watching frozen water melt is a pretty big ask.

The idea was that he would have a lightbulb moment, when he noticed that the ice cube had turned into water and that this would lead him towards the path of receiving his first Nobel prize at the age of 20.

However, I'm not entirely sure how successful the experiment was, as, after the ice cube had melted, Stefan took off the piece of paper and drank the water.

Below are two pictures (not from the actual experiment, but one I did this morning) showing what I've described above:

During the melting process

After the melting process

Yes, I believe I could have become a great scientist.


HO rocks.
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