Dry ice added to water produces an impressive low white cloud. The key distinction is that dry ice is solid carbon dioxide, while the visible fog consists largely of tiny water droplets formed as moist air cools.
Sublimation is different from melting
At ordinary atmospheric pressure, dry ice changes directly from solid to gas. That behaviour explains why it should not be confused with the water ice in a snowball or freezer tray.
The visible cloud does not show the whole picture
Carbon dioxide itself is invisible and can accumulate where ventilation is poor. CDC guidance also warns against sealed containers and direct skin contact. The large indoor demonstration illustrates the effect, but does not establish suitable ventilation or conditions for a household experiment.
Further information: CDC dry-ice handling and ventilation guidance
Explore more: ordinary snow and a misleading melting claim; another filmed interaction involving heat and ice.
Related reading: Hot Water in Cold Air: Explaining the Yellowknife Clip.
Video: 2 Pounds of Dry Ice Experiment (published by CrazyRussianHacker).
The demonstration’s host and setting
The original video features Taras Kulakov of CrazyRussianHacker placing dry ice into water in a sink. Its title identifies a quantity used for that filmed demonstration, not an amount recommended for a household activity. The small setting makes the spreading cloud look particularly dramatic because it quickly changes the appearance of a familiar object.
Visible fog and invisible gas are different
The white cloud is the visible part of a process that also involves invisible gas. Tiny liquid droplets scatter light, making the fog easy to follow as it spreads around the sink. Carbon dioxide itself cannot be mapped by simply tracing that white outline. This distinction explains why appearance is a poor guide to ventilation: the dramatic material the camera records and the gas present in the room are not identical things. The demonstration is visually clear while leaving those conditions unmeasured.
Sources, photography and further reading
Original feature and image attributions:
- Evaporating Water in -30C. Must See!
- Spectacular Photos of Bubbles Frozen in Frigid Temperatures
- Snow Roller: A Strange Meteorological Phenomenon
- Top 10 Amazing Sites Created by Snow and Ice
- I Had No Idea This Winter Phenomenon Even Happened. And Now I Can’t Stop Looking At It… Wow.
- How to Walk on Ice
- That's Genius! How to Make Fire from Ice
- CDC dry-ice handling and ventilation guidance
- ordinary snow and a misleading melting claim
- another filmed interaction involving heat and ice
- Hot Water in Cold Air: Explaining the Yellowknife Clip
- 2 Pounds of Dry Ice Experiment
Very cool. :-)
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