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General Science / Can frost-free freezers account for the hot water freezing first claim?
« on: 11/07/2008 10:06:55 »
Les Moore asked the Naked Scientists:
On a recent show you discussed why hot water might freeze quicker than cold water.
Decades ago the answer was much more simple. No one had 'frost free' freezers so the inside of the freezer was always covered by a layer of frost that acted as an insulator. When an ice cube tray was filled with hot water it melted through the insulating layer of frost and contacted the freezer directly allowing the ice to freeze faster than if a tray of cold water was used.
Les Moore
Austin Texas
What do you think?
On a recent show you discussed why hot water might freeze quicker than cold water.
Decades ago the answer was much more simple. No one had 'frost free' freezers so the inside of the freezer was always covered by a layer of frost that acted as an insulator. When an ice cube tray was filled with hot water it melted through the insulating layer of frost and contacted the freezer directly allowing the ice to freeze faster than if a tray of cold water was used.
Les Moore
Austin Texas
What do you think?