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Chemistry and Chemists № 1 2026 Journal of Chemists-Enthusiasts |
Freezing of Supercooled Water - pt.9, 10 Chemist |
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Despite the warming weather, I left four bottles of distilled water in the cold laboratory overnight. In the morning, the outside temperature rose to several degrees above zero degrees Celsius, but inside the laboratory it was -2°C. I had conducted my earlier experiments with supercooled water when the temperature in the laboratory was -4 to -5°C. As you can see, the laboratory had also warmed up, but the temperature was still below freezing. I was curious to find out how supercooled water would behave under these conditions.
I shook the first bottle vigorously, but the water remained liquid. Further attempts to initiate ice formation were unsuccessful. I shook the second bottle. After several attempts, ice crystals began to form in the bottle. The amount of ice gradually increased, but my joy was premature. Only two-thirds of the water in the bottle turned into a white slush, after which ice formation practically stopped. The water was not supercooled enough to freeze completely (even to the point of forming a full "slush"). I replaced the partially frozen bottle with a new bottle of liquid distilled water and left the bottles in the laboratory for two days. During this time, the temperature outside dropped significantly, and the temperature in the laboratory fell to -4°C. The water in three bottles remained liquid, but in the first bottle the liquid had almost completely turned into solid ice. This was the bottle I had shaken first during the previous experiment. Whether the preliminary shaking caused the freezing or whether it was merely a coincidence is unknown. I shook the three remaining bottles. The water in them quickly turned into a white, icy slush. I left another bottle to cool overnight. By morning, the water in the bottle remained liquid, and the laboratory temperature had dropped to -5°C. I shook the bottle - the result was similar to the previous one: the water quickly froze. |
Freezing of Supercooled Water |
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