2. since heat touching the surface of an ice cube causes it to melt, is it better for an ice cube to have a large surface area of a small surface area? why? (at least 3 sentences.)

Heat touching the surface of the ice cube causes it to melt. So a cube with larger surface area will allow more contact with the heat as compared to the cube with small surface area.

If the amount of heat that is being transferred to the ice cube from the surrounding environment is more, it will melt more quickly. If the ice cube melts more quickly it cannot serve its purpose i.e. to cool down the liquid it is dipped into.

Therefore, for better results, the surface area of the ice cube should be less, so that less heat touches its surface and the process of melting is slow.