Question: Ice is put into a cup and almost all of the cubes become ice water. Then, when we add more ice to the cup, will the ice water's temperature increase, decrease, or stay the same?

During my interviews, all of my interviewees said that the ice water's temperature would decrease when more ice was added. Renee argued that the temperature decreases temporarily and that the ice cubes prevent further melting during that temporary period. Then, they all eventually melt the longer they stay in room temperature. She drinks a lot of ice water with ice cubes in it. Therefore, she was adamant that that in her personal experience, the water itself is warmer in temperature than the ice. For this reason, she adds ice to water to keep it cool.

Ashley said that ice cubes always give off coldness when added to water, even if the water had very recently changed forms from ice. Eventually, all of the ice will melt and the water will get warmer.

Jimmy argued that matter has to melt to get from a solid to a liquid and that warmer temperatures influence this transition. Therefore, it gets warmer and when ice cubes are added again, it gets colder until the ice melts. Everyone had the same answer and agreed on all of these reasons why the ice water gets colder. However, they were mistaken.

It is a common misconception that even I fell for. Most people don't realize that everyday experiences that they think are clear could lead them to the wrong conclusion. Ice is the cold form of water, so it should make water colder, right? I found out through my readings that during a phase change, the temperature actually does not change while two phases are present (Keeley). 

Temperature- the measure of the average KINETIC ENERGY of the particles that make up asubstance (Keeley).

Heat- the AMOUNT of thermal energy that is transferred between objects due to a temperature difference (thermal energy in transition). (Keeley).

The distinction between these definitions is very important for understanding this concept. During the change from ice to water when the ice is taken out of the freezer, it encounters a temperature change which is needed for the ice to absorb thermal energy. This transfer is called heat, but heat doesn't mean temperature change in the substance. The "heat" in the room simply adds energy to break the bonds in the ice (Keeley). Energy changes are not changes in kinetic energy (Keeley). Immediately after the bonds break, the molecules are moving at the same speed as before. Therefore, the same average kinetic energy means it is the same temperature as before.

If the ice had completely melted into water before more ice was added, the temperature of the water would be higher because two phases would not be present in it.

Going back to Renee's argument, she is right that using ice in her water keeps it cool longer. However, that is because the water remains the same temperature until the second phase, ice, is completely melted. The icer water in her cup would get warmer without the presence of ice prolonging the warming-up stage.

This is one of the many misconceptions that most people have. I have since started questioning other things that I had taken for granted such as how living things grow. Where does the mass come from? How can a few chemicals combine to create an entirely new substance or to create mass? It's good to brush up on these subjects especially for babysitting because children expect adults to know this basic information.

My interviewees and I had fun figuring out the solution to this problem and it was a good mental exercise to encourage breaking misconceptions. Now, more people in our society can encourage the advancement of scientific knowledge in the world.  

My suggestion to advance scientific knowledge in our community is by word of mouth. If we pay it forward and question the views of our peers, we can all think more in depth about everyday experiences that we take for granted. It could turn into a fun activity or trend for kids to ask each other things like "Why does this happen? What is that made out of?" If enough people do it, it will be considered cool and exciting.

References:

"Changes of Phase, Heat, Temperature." Zona Land Education. zonalandeducation.com/mstm/physics/mechanics/energy/heatAndTemperature/changesOfPhase/changeOfState.html Web. Apri 2013. 

Keeley, Page, & Joyce Tugel. (2009). Uncovering Student Ideas in Science: 25 New Formative Assessment Probes Vol. 4. Arlington, VA: National Science Teachers Association.