Can you design a container that keeps an ice cube from melting for at least 30 minutes?
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Gather Information: For this challenge, 1 small container will be your base. You’ll decide what materials to put inside of the container to keep it cold in there—this is known as insulation (“in-suhl-AY-shun”). After you build your design, you’ll test it by putting an ice cube inside of the container for 30 minutes and seeing how much it melts compared to an ice cube without insulation.
Think about other things you’ve seen that keep food cold on the go, such as lunch boxes, coolers, and thermoses. (See “Food for Thought” at the bottom of this page for more information.) What materials are they made from? What other properties or characteristics do they have?
Brainstorm your design: What materials will you use for your insulation? You can use as many materials as you like, as long as they fit inside your container and leave room for 1 ice cube. Think about:
Build your design: Place your insulation materials inside of 1 container—don’t forget to leave room for the ice cube. Will you add insulation to the lid of the container? What materials will you use?