JCPL Teens

If you boil water and throw it up into the air when the outside temperature is below -22 degrees the water will instantly turn to snow.  Don't try this at home as I don't want you to burn yourself and it isn't cold enough in Denver to make this work.  Watch this video shot at the Mount Washington Observatory.  Why does this work?  In part it works because of rapid evaporation of the hot water in very cold temperatures.  Mpemba effect also has a role in the flash freezing.  This is where hot water will cool faster than colder water.  This seems contrary to science right? It is named for a Tanzanian school student who noticed the ice cream he made would freeze faster if it started out hot.  Scientists are not exactly sure why this is true but some theories are convection, solutes in the water and evaporation.

Want to know more?  Check out our online Database Science in Context.