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Two small identical containers (ice cube trays, for example) with equal volumes of water are placed in a freezer - the only difference is one container holds hot water, and the other one holds cold water. The container that holds hot water freezes first. Why? . It is a misconception that hot water freezes sooner than cold water because of the rate of cooling alone. It is true that, at first, the hot water cools at a much more rapid rate than the cool water, due to the larger temperature differential of the hot water container. But as the hot water container reaches the same temperature as the cold water container, the temperature differentials become the same, and from that point on, both containers will cool at the same rate. But remember that the cold water container was cooling too (just not as quickly), so it will always have a head start, and the hot water should never be able to catch up to the cold water before the cold water freezes. So there must be something else going on than just cooling to enable the hot water to freeze before the cold water. . The high temperature differential with the hot water leads to something beyond just cooling. Hot water evaporates much more quickly in a freezer than cold water does. So by the time the hot water cools to the same temperature as the cold water, there is muchless water in the hot water container than water in the cold water container. Now that they are the same temperature, they both should evaporate and cool at the same rate, so it is just a race to which one freezes first. But with less water in its container, the (formerly) hot water has a higher surface area to volume ratio than the (originally) cool water. The higher surface area to volume ratio means the heat escapes more quickly (it cools more rapidly) from the (formerly) hot water. It is this higher surface area to volume ratio, cased by the lower volume of water due to evaporation, that causes the (originally) hot water to freeze first. . To prove this, conduct the following experiment. .

  1. Place two identical ice trays in the freezer - one filled with hot water, and one filled with cold water. The hot water tray will freeze first, but you will notice that there is much less ice left in each ice cube in the hot water ice tray.
  2. Now repeat the exact same experiment, but this time seal both the hot water ice tray and the cold water ice tray with plastic cling wrap to prevent the water from evaporating. Now the cold water ice tray will freeze before the hot water ice tray, and both trays will have equal amounts of ice.

Probably not. It would freeze faster than hot water because the hot water has to lose more heat.

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Do hot water pipes freeze faster than cold water pipes?

Why is the second paragraph a contradiction of the first? If hot water pipes 'Absolutely' do not freeze faster than cold water pipes then why the comment about the cold water pipes having a larger diameter which causes them to freeze at a slower rate than the smaller hot water pipes? Also, the word then in the last line should be thanand there should be an a between usually and larger. And, piping should be changed to pipe.


What would freeze faster 7-up or water?

Water will freeze faster than 7-up. This is due to the extra stuff in 7-up that isn't in water, such as sugars, syrups and caffeine.


Are molecules in hot water different then molecules in cold water?

If you have the same volume of both then there are in cold water more molecules.


Does salt or sugar dissolve faster in cold or hot water?

Sugar sinks at the same rate in warm or cold water. Sugar dissolves faster in warm water.


Does less water freeze faster than more water?

No. The important factor is the surface area of the water that is exposed to cold conditions. A large, thin pan of water will freeze just as quickly as a smaller, thin pan of water if the ratio of surface area to volume is the same. The reason a large bottle of water freezes more slowly than a smaller one is that less of the water is exposed to the outside of the container, where its heat is lost. And, as the ice forms inside the container, it further reduces the rapidity of heat loss to the air around the container.

Related Questions

Do cold water freeze faster than warm water?

yes


Does a bottle of water freeze faster than a bottle of ice thawing?

Yes it does. Cold water freeze slower than normal or hot water.


Related literature Does hot water freeze faster than cold?

No. It takes longer to freeze because cold water is closer to it's freezing point.


What is the purpose of conducting the "Does hot water freeze faster than cold water" project?

The purpose of conducting the "Does hot water freeze faster than cold water" project is to investigate and understand the phenomenon known as the Mpemba effect, which suggests that hot water can freeze faster than cold water under certain conditions. This project aims to explore this concept and potentially uncover new insights into the freezing process of water.


Why is hot water faster to become solid than the cold water inside refrigerator?

The fact that hot water may freeze faster than cold is often called the Mpemba effect


What freeze faster salt or water?

Water will freeze faster than salt water.


Does salt water freeze faster than sugar water?

no salt water does not freeze faster than sugar.


Does cold water freeze faster than hot water?

Yes. Water of any starting temperature must be cooled to 0 oC in order to freeze.


Does warm water freeze faster than cooler water?

no because the cold water speeds up the process by starting it


Does hot cold or salt water freeze faster?

Cold water, being the closest to freezing point, will obviously freeze the fastest. Hot water will freeze the second fastest, and salt water barely ever freezes, except in very cold conditions.


How long do it take for hot water to freeze?

The time it takes for hot water to freeze depends on factors such as the initial temperature of the hot water and the surrounding temperature. In general, hot water will freeze faster than cold water due to the Mpemba effect, which is the phenomenon where hot water freezes faster than cold water under certain conditions.


Which freezes faster hot water or cold water?

Cold water will freeze faster. Because the freezing point of water is 0oC, water that is closer to that point will freeze faster then hot water. This is because it will require less time to lower the temperature to the freezing point.