How Does Carbon Dioxide Turn into Dry Ice?

“How does carbon dioxide turn into dry ice?”

Thanks for your question, Sam. To understand how carbon dioxide turns into dry ice, we first need to find out what carbon dioxide is.

What Is Carbon Dioxide?

Carbon dioxide is a mixture (compound) of two elements from the periodic table. Carbon dioxide has a shortened name, called a symbol: CO₂ . This symbol tells you what carbon dioxide is made of—one part carbon (C) and two parts oxygen (O₂ ). Did you know that CO₂ is what makes the bubbles in your soda?

How Is Dry Ice Made?

Carbon dioxide is a gas at room temperature, but it can also become a liquid or solid. Liquid CO₂ is formed by compressing and cooling the gas form of carbon dioxide. From its liquid state, CO₂ can be turned into a solid (dry ice) by being frozen at a temperature of -109ºF. Brrrrr!

Unlike other solids (including regular ice), dry ice doesn’t turn into a liquid when it melts. Instead, it changes directly from a solid into a gas! This is called sublimation (sub-li-MAY-shun).

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