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To all the scientists out there - Why does my water freeze ?

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By (user no longer on site) OP   
over a year ago

This is the situation ...

I drink lots of carbonated mineral water and I buy it 6 x 1.5ltrs at a time and stand it outside to keep it cool

Ok so far ?

Good

So after standing all night in the frost, the bottles haven't frozen, but as soon as I break the seal and relieve the initial pressure from within the bottle, the water begins to freeze, and within about 15 minutes, the bottle of water is 50% solid ice

Obviously realeasing the pressure is the trigger for this phenomenan, but why does it happen ?

Magnus Pike, if you're still alive and a member of this site maybe you can answer my question ??

If Magnus declines, or is dead, - anyone else will do

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

no idea!! xx

n whos magnus pike?? x

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"no idea!! xx

n whos magnus pike?? x"

Thats what I was thinking...

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Because mineral water has carbon dioxide in it, it's freezing point is lowered so it is less likely to freeze. When you cool it down below freezing with the cap on, the water will not freeze, but once you open it, you release the carbon dioxide. As the water quickly loses the dissolved carbon dioxide, the freezing point for it quickly goes up. Once freezing point gets up to the temperature, the water freezes and turns into a solid.

I phoned Magnus!!!

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Its the same principle as ice skating, you already answered your own question, the pressure alters the melting/freezing point slightly, when you release the pressure then the freezing point returns to normal, if the temperature of the fluid is below its freezing point it will freeze.

The same thing happens when ice skating, the weight concentrated on a thin blade increases the freezing point of ice, ( then the skate slides easily on a thin film of melted water on the ice) when the skate has passed that point on the ice, the pressure returns to normal, the ice freezes.

hope this helps

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"Because mineral water has carbon dioxide in it, it's freezing point is lowered so it is less likely to freeze. When you cool it down below freezing with the cap on, the water will not freeze, but once you open it, you release the carbon dioxide. As the water quickly loses the dissolved carbon dioxide, the freezing point for it quickly goes up. Once freezing point gets up to the temperature, the water freezes and turns into a solid.

I phoned Magnus!!!"

Took the words right out my mouth.

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By *mumaWoman
over a year ago

Livingston

ooh, get Laine and Plums- fecking Boffins

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"ooh, get Laine and Plums- fecking Boffins "

Google comes in handy at times

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By (user no longer on site) OP   
over a year ago


"Because mineral water has carbon dioxide in it, it's freezing point is lowered so it is less likely to freeze. When you cool it down below freezing with the cap on, the water will not freeze, but once you open it, you release the carbon dioxide. As the water quickly loses the dissolved carbon dioxide, the freezing point for it quickly goes up. Once freezing point gets up to the temperature, the water freezes and turns into a solid.

I phoned Magnus!!!"

Ah ha ! So the Co2, lowers the freezing point of the water Mystery solved, so now to my next problem

How the fuck do I get a drink

Fancy some peeps not knowing who Magnus Pike is/was sheesh ! next they'll be telling me that they've never heard of Professor Ian Fells ! Tut Tut ..

Ooooh btw Lainey how did ya night go ? Not too much Co2 I hope

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"Because mineral water has carbon dioxide in it, it's freezing point is lowered so it is less likely to freeze. When you cool it down below freezing with the cap on, the water will not freeze, but once you open it, you release the carbon dioxide. As the water quickly loses the dissolved carbon dioxide, the freezing point for it quickly goes up. Once freezing point gets up to the temperature, the water freezes and turns into a solid.

I phoned Magnus!!!

Ah ha ! So the Co2, lowers the freezing point of the water Mystery solved, so now to my next problem

How the fuck do I get a drink

Fancy some peeps not knowing who Magnus Pike is/was sheesh ! next they'll be telling me that they've never heard of Professor Ian Fells ! Tut Tut ..

Ooooh btw Lainey how did ya night go ? Not too much Co2 I hope "

The night was fantastic! everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, especially me! and we raised £250 for breast cancer charity xxx

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By (user no longer on site) OP   
over a year ago

Yeah only just looked at the other thread - bloody well done !

Roll on June ... and we'll make some more

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"Because mineral water has carbon dioxide in it, it's freezing point is lowered so it is less likely to freeze. When you cool it down below freezing with the cap on, the water will not freeze, but once you open it, you release the carbon dioxide. As the water quickly loses the dissolved carbon dioxide, the freezing point for it quickly goes up. Once freezing point gets up to the temperature, the water freezes and turns into a solid.

I phoned Magnus!!!

Ah ha ! So the Co2, lowers the freezing point of the water Mystery solved, so now to my next problem

How the fuck do I get a drink

Fancy some peeps not knowing who Magnus Pike is/was sheesh ! next they'll be telling me that they've never heard of Professor Ian Fells ! Tut Tut ..

Ooooh btw Lainey how did ya night go ? Not too much Co2 I hope

The night was fantastic! everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, especially me! and we raised £250 for breast cancer charity xxx "

Just wanted to say very well done on the money you raised!

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"Because mineral water has carbon dioxide in it, it's freezing point is lowered so it is less likely to freeze. When you cool it down below freezing with the cap on, the water will not freeze, but once you open it, you release the carbon dioxide. As the water quickly loses the dissolved carbon dioxide, the freezing point for it quickly goes up. Once freezing point gets up to the temperature, the water freezes and turns into a solid.

I phoned Magnus!!!

Ah ha ! So the Co2, lowers the freezing point of the water Mystery solved, so now to my next problem

How the fuck do I get a drink

Fancy some peeps not knowing who Magnus Pike is/was sheesh ! next they'll be telling me that they've never heard of Professor Ian Fells ! Tut Tut ..

Ooooh btw Lainey how did ya night go ? Not too much Co2 I hope

The night was fantastic! everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, especially me! and we raised £250 for breast cancer charity xxx

Just wanted to say very well done on the money you raised! "

Thanks so much, we all had a great time doing it xxx

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Magnus Pike - Excellent guy. He was a true science anorak (like Professor Heinz Wolf)

PS. If you're a mountain climber, it's difficult to get a decent cup of tea once you're above a certain elevation because the water in your kettle boils at a much lower temperature in the lower atmospheric pressure than down than at sea level.

PPS. I'm NOT a science anorak.

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By (user no longer on site)
Forum Mod

over a year ago

Ive got a headache now

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By (user no longer on site) OP   
over a year ago

Take an Asprin with some water, but not water that's been up a mountain or standing in my back yard in the frost

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By *zMaleMan
over a year ago

penzance

Any liquid under pressure has a lower freezing point. Releasing the pressure reverts the liquid back to it's normal freezing point. SOOOOOOOOOOO when you leave your water outside in a temperature of -1 C for eg the freezing point of water under pressure is for eg -5 C the water is still liquid. when you open it you release the pressure the freezing point of water as we know is 0 C. But the actual temp of the water is -1 C, so it frezzes. SIMPLES

Hope thats explains it.

I knew what I meant anyway

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By *zMaleMan
over a year ago

penzance


"Ah ha ! So the Co2, lowers the freezing point of the water Mystery solved, so now to my next problem "

Noty the Co2 it's the pressure its under that lowers the freezing point

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago


"Any liquid under pressure has a lower freezing point. Releasing the pressure reverts the liquid back to it's normal freezing point. SOOOOOOOOOOO when you leave your water outside in a temperature of -1 C for eg the freezing point of water under pressure is for eg -5 C the water is still liquid. when you open it you release the pressure the freezing point of water as we know is 0 C. But the actual temp of the water is -1 C, so it frezzes. SIMPLES

Hope thats explains it.

I knew what I meant anyway "

made perfect sense to me, just like when I said it 4 hours ago,

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By *zMaleMan
over a year ago

penzance

OK OK but in a different way

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By *ilibustersCouple
over a year ago

Lancaster

Hello!

I think it's not necessarily to do with the difference in pressure, is it? I live near the lakes and this often happens to bottled water left out at night. Try giving it a shake before you open it, and it may well turn to ice even without opening it! I think this is a process known as Supercooling, which can take place down to about -39 degrees - look it up on youtube for some cool videos (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSPzMva9_CE). Basically, for water to freeze, it needs impurities or something else to start a "chain reaction" on which to build the ice crystals. Bottled (pure) water in plastic bottles don't really offer much "hold" on which too start the freezing process, but this chain is started when you open or shake the bottle? I seem to remember that the best champagne glasses are very "pure" too - cheap champagne glasses with impurities in the glass mean that the bubbles go crazy catching on the impurities (and the champagne goes flat!).

How dull do I feel?!

xc

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