Dry Ice Skips a Step

(patter — fast, silly, tongue-twisting)

Oh listen to the story of a most peculiar trick A thing so very sneaky and remarkably quick! Most solids go to liquid in the usual routine — But some of them skip RIGHT OVER to the gaseous scene!

Skip-a-step! Skip-a-step! Solidic to Aiery! Never was a LiQuo in between, now isn't that scary? Skip-a-step! Skip-a-step! Shortcut through the phase! Sublimation! Sublimation! Sublima-ta-tion ways!

Consider if you please the frozen CO-two — They call it dry ice 'cause it never wets like dew! You plop it in the punch bowl and it bubbles out a fog — But look around: no puddle! Not a drop upon the log!

(gasp) Where's the liquid? (shrug) There ain't one! (louder) Where's the liquid? (bigger shrug) NONE!

The molecules were locked up tight, a perfect little square Then BOOP! They got a bump of heat — and LEAPT into the air! They didn't stop to shuffle, didn't stop to slide — They jumped right out of Solidic to Aiery's windy ride!

Skip-a-step! Skip-a-step! Solidic to Aiery! Never was a LiQuo in between, ain't chemistry merry? Skip-a-step! Skip-a-step! Shortcut through the phase! Sublimation! Sublimation! Sublima-ta-tion ways!

And frost upon the windowpane on winter mornings chill Can vanish in the sunlight without a water spill! The molecules wave bye-bye to their neighbors in the lace And zoom away as Aiery, disappearing into space!

And freeze-dried strawberries that astronauts adore — Once frozen solid, then the ice just walks right out the door! No water ever puddles — the berry stays the same, Just lighter, crunchier, and ready for the space-food game!

(faster!)

Sub! Li! Ma! Tion! Sub! Li! Ma! Tion! Solid to a gas without a liquid operation! Sub! Li! Ma! Tion! Sub! Li! Ma! Tion! Shortcut through the middle with a molecular vacation!

Now Solidic, he's a fellow who is mostly quite content To melt into his cousin LiQuo, gradual and gent — But once in silly-while, when the pressure's nice and low He waves right past his cousin and says "Aiery, here I go!"

(bow!)

Skip-a-step! Skip-a-step! Solidic to Aiery! Never was a LiQuo in between, now isn't that airy? Skip-a-step! Skip-a-step! Shortcut through the phase! Sublimation! Sublimation! Sublima-ta-tion WAAAAYS!

(final kid-chorus shout) DRY ICE DON'T DRIP — DRY ICE JUST ZIPS!

Key Concepts: Sublimation = solid directly to gas, no liquid middle | Dry ice (frozen carbon dioxide) is the showcase example | Frost can vanish without melting | Meteorites streak as they heat up fast enough to skip liquid | Low pressure can make sublimation easier

Character: Solidic leaps straight to Aiery, LiQuo watches confused from the sidelines | First "skip-a-step" scene between Solidic and Aiery | "Dry ice don't drip — dry ice just zips!"