Let's Go Ice Fishing

Can you lift a floating ice cube out of a glass of water using just one end of a piece of string? Sounds impossible, but it's not-if you know some basic chemistry.

You'll need:

• a piece of string about 15 cm (6 inches) long
• salt
• a glass of water
• an ice cube

1. Lay one end of the string across the top of the ice cube and sprinkle a bit of salt on it.
2. Count slowly to 10, then gently lift the string. Presto! You've caught an ice cube.

What's happening?

Excerpt from The Jumbo Book of Science by the Ontario Science Centre, used by permission of Kids Can Press Ltd., Toronto.