mystery
perhaps for k2k6 or rakky...

why is it that, if i freeze a bottle of evian so it's nice and cold, it overflows the bottle when it defrosts?

i understand that ice takes up more room than liquid water. fine.

but when it melts again, how can there be more liquid than there was in the first place? how?? do the ice particles breed or something???
( rachelswipe with a fork, Fri 4 Jul 2008, 10:07, 30 replies, latest was 16 years ago)

Does it actually split before defrosting?
With the liquid water then seeping out the split?

I can't say I've ever noticed this, but it would be interesting to learn the answer.
( Thinker, Fri 4 Jul 2008, 10:12, Reply)

you're right
i didn't mean split, i meant that i left the lid off it, and when i came back, it had flooded! how??
( rachelswipe with a fork, Fri 4 Jul 2008, 10:20, Reply)

Two factors are at work
1 - When you freeze the water, you have to leave the top off the bottle, because water expands as it freezes and otherwise it would split.

What then results is a bottle of ice with a bit of ice sticking out of the top where it has expanded.

When the bottle is left out to thaw, it doesn't of course all melt at once. The outside melts first, including the outside of the bit of ice sticking out of the bottle neck. It has nowhere to go as the bottle's still full of ice, so it trickles down the outside of the bottle, forming a puddle on your table.

2 - Air contains water vapour. When you leave the bottle out to defrost, it will condense and freeze on the surface. Eventually it will melt and run down the side of the bottle, enhancing the puddle.

So in effect, you do end up with more water than you started with, because of the condensation.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Fri 4 Jul 2008, 10:33, Reply)

It's like having your own scientist on tap.
I'm just trying to think of something clever to ask.
( girlinthehole, Fri 4 Jul 2008, 10:45, Reply)

If it's biological
or serious chemistry, then you'll need to wait until Rakky wakes up.

But physics is OK.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Fri 4 Jul 2008, 10:49, Reply)

muchas gracias!
even if it has gone a little bit over my stupid lawyer head!
( rachelswipe with a fork, Fri 4 Jul 2008, 10:52, Reply)

Reminds me
Many years ago, when the winters were hard and the summers were slightly less wet than they are now, our family used to get milk delivered rather than going to the supermarket to buy it. On really, really cold mornings, the milk would be collected from the doorstep and would be found to be frozen to the point where it had expanded and pushed the foil top off.

Looked exactly like a little white dog turd...
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Fri 4 Jul 2008, 11:08, Reply)

Oh, DG..
The memory of frozen milk bottles on the doorstep was a fond one from my childhood.

I'd never made the turd link before now.
( Thinker, Fri 4 Jul 2008, 11:13, Reply)

I love doing this!
In summer (snort) and the nights are hot and sultry, I like to put a bottle of water in the freezer so it's completely frozen solid when I take it out and put it by my bed for nighttime thirstiness. I like to use the Strathmore water bottles as they are a bit taller than most others. Call me fussy if you like but I have good reason.

During the night it melts slowly so I have a lovely icy cool supply of water to sup at should I feel the need. It's lovely.

The best bit, however, is after it's done its melty thing for a bit and the ice core has shrunk, because it resembles an enormous icy cock, which I find greatly cheering of a morning.

that is all.
(happylittletulip helpless and delicious, Fri 4 Jul 2008, 11:17, Reply)

'an enormous icy cock'...
Hmm. It's no fun. Thankfully we got double glazing in last year and the wind no longer whistles up the duvet...

*sniggers*
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Fri 4 Jul 2008, 11:20, Reply)

@HLT
When you say you're 'cheered' by the icy cock, is it just by the appearance of it, or...oh, I don't know, maybe something else?

@DG - You just brought back childhood memories for me too. And it was the cream on top of the bottle which got squeezed out.

On un-frosty mornings there would often be little holes in the foil where the birds had pecked through to get at the tasty cream.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Fri 4 Jul 2008, 11:20, Reply)

what are you suggesting?
the icy cock is of course trapped within its plastic casing.
(happylittletulip helpless and delicious, Fri 4 Jul 2008, 11:23, Reply)

Oh yes
so it is.

Silly me.

I just thought you might have liked an early morning ice lolly...
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Fri 4 Jul 2008, 11:24, Reply)

I remember the birds pecking through, too
Oh, how I miss doorstep milk deliveries.

I imagine they were annoying for the adults at the time, though. Either frozen, bird-pecked, or (rarely) stolen by early risers on their way to school/work.
( Thinker, Fri 4 Jul 2008, 11:25, Reply)

@k2k6
*winces*

*cringes*

*crosses legs*
(happylittletulip helpless and delicious, Fri 4 Jul 2008, 11:26, Reply)

Now then, HLT
The crossing of your legs would suggest that you weren't thinking of consuming the ice lolly in the conventional manner!

Naughty tulip :P
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Fri 4 Jul 2008, 11:29, Reply)

Actually, Mr K2k6
I was cringing and wincing because I have very sensitive teeth and cannot eat ice lollies without getting an ice-cream headache.

And as you should know, when ladies have headaches they cross their legs.

*wins*

:P
(happylittletulip helpless and delicious, Fri 4 Jul 2008, 11:34, Reply)

*concedes defeat to HLT*
Yes, I'd forgotten about the headache thing...
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Fri 4 Jul 2008, 11:36, Reply)

Maybe it was just my type of milk
But our bottles would have a small bit of cream at the top, which was just delicious when poured onto your Frosties.

These plastic bottles don't have the cream at the top sadly :(
( whenanimalsattackhumans clad in global hypercolour, Fri 4 Jul 2008, 11:48, Reply)

...
Gaz CHCB for a photo of an ice cock.

Well: ice dildo, anyway...
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Fri 4 Jul 2008, 12:01, Reply)

@Weeker
We've discussed this before on these boards. Nowadays what happens is that the cream is skimmed off the milk, then processed to break it up into tiny particles such that they will stay suspended in the milk rather than float to the top.

It's then added back to the milk in varying amounts depending on the grade - green semi skimmed has 2% fat, blue milk has 4%.

The fat is homogenised with the rest of the milk and so you don't get the good bit for your Frosties.

This is probably the result of 'consumer demand'. I don't recall being asked.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Fri 4 Jul 2008, 12:04, Reply)

@ K2k6
How come you know that? how did you find out?
(happylittletulip helpless and delicious, Fri 4 Jul 2008, 12:11, Reply)

@HLT
I just seem to know these things. I find out lots of random facts as I go through life, and squirrel them away into nooks and crannies in my brain, in the process displacing other information like dates of people's birthdays and stuff.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Fri 4 Jul 2008, 12:19, Reply)

nicicle
as requested:



Ann Summers special, complete with icy rabbit 'ears'.
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Fri 4 Jul 2008, 12:20, Reply)

Very nice, CHCB
Imagine a Strathmore Spring bottle round that, and you have what HLT wakes up to after a hot summer's night.

I'm off for my lunchtime swim.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Fri 4 Jul 2008, 12:26, Reply)

@ CHCB
Wow, that is very impressive.

Makes my icecock seem quite pathetic.

*jealouses*
(happylittletulip helpless and delicious, Fri 4 Jul 2008, 12:28, Reply)

I wish I could take credit for its formation
I merely came across it, as it were, on a hillside in Wales.
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Fri 4 Jul 2008, 12:32, Reply)

@ CHCB
And I bet you weren't the first. ahem.
(happylittletulip helpless and delicious, Fri 4 Jul 2008, 12:44, Reply)

@ al
possibly, but if it was that cold the melty bits could have refrozen.

and it was in wales.
(happylittletulip helpless and delicious, Fri 4 Jul 2008, 13:17, Reply)

@ k2k6
*offers to do physics*

2.87p per question and I don't do Sundays.
(Shippy likes linebreaks and doesn't care what you think, Fri 4 Jul 2008, 21:20, Reply)