Why does an ice cube make a cracking sound when it is dropped in a glass of water? How can we make a louder cracking sound? Does the loudness depend on the temperature of the water? Can the cracking sound be eliminated? Does the shape of the ice cube matter? Does the crack pass through the center of the cube? Cracking an ice cube in water leads to many questions and investigations. The following activities and demonstrations allow students to observe the change in water volume as it cools and help teachers challenge common student misconceptions.