Simple Science Project: Ice Cream in a Bag

Beat the heat with a summer treat! This project uses sweet science principles to teach students about emulsion and energy while enjoying a sweet treat. Continue reading for instructions on using science to make a favorite summertime snack.

The high temperatures in July make it the perfect month to host National Ice Cream Month. This national ‘holiday” was established in 1984 by President Ronald Reagan. The IDFA claims that Americans eat about four gallons of ice cream yearly. Ice cream has been a favorite summer treat for many years and contributes heavily to our economy; it’s undeniably a favorite summer tradition! It’s time to use our science skills to make our own.

Instructions

What You’ll Need

Ice cubes (at least two trays worth)
Measuring cup/bowl
1/2 cup of rock salt or ice cream salt
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 cup of heavy whipping cream or half-and-half
2 tablespoons of sugar
Gallon-size zip-lock bag
Sandwich-size zip-lock bag
Ice cream toppings (optional)

What You’ll Do

Add ice to a gallon-sized plastic bag so that it’s half full.
Pour ½ cup of rock salt into the bag.
Add in 1 cup of heavy whipping cream or half-and-half into a small bowl.
Add in ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract and two tablespoons of sugar into the bowl as well. Mix well.
When blended, add the mixture to a separate plastic bag (sandwich size). Seal tightly.
Place the smaller bag inside the bag with ice. Seal the gall-sized bag shut.
Time to shake! Shake the bags for 5-6 minutes.
Remove the smaller bag from the larger one, and enjoy your ice cream! Add in any additional toppings that you’d like.

This project helps students learn more about states of matter and emulsions. Emulsions are the combination of two liquids that do not typically mix well. To make this homemade ice cream, we mix fats (milk) and water, and when we combine the milk at low temperatures, the mixture changes from a liquid to a solid. Adding salt to the bag of ice creates a freezing point depression, which makes the temperature at which the water freezes lower than regular water. As the salt encourages the ice to melt faster, it will absorb heat from the milk mixture, lowering its temperature and creating solids, also known as ice cream!

Mobile Ed’s STEAM Museum uses fun and practical activities like this one to teach students about science, technology, engineering, art, and math. In this fan-favorite program, students have up-close and hands-on experiences with: