[NatureNS] when water freezes?

From: "Andy Moir/Chris Callaghan" <andyandchris@ns.sympatico.ca>
To: <NatureNS@chebucto.ns.ca>
Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2008 18:59:22 -0400
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Return-Path: <naturens-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>
Original-Recipient: rfc822;"| (cd /csuite/info/Environment/FNSN/MList; /csuite/lib/arch2html)"

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I have a question about the properties of water as it goes through the =
transition from liquid to solid.
Yesterday, following the heavy rains and mild temperatures, our stable =
yard was quite a mucky mess.  It was easy to sink well past one's ankles =
in mud.  This morning when I went out, the ground was not frozen, but it =
was certainly much more solid to walk over.
When I went out this morning, the temperature was +2.3C.  The overnight =
low was +1.8C.
There were still pools of water in the footprints (and hoofprints) made =
in yesterday's muck, so the ground certainly wasn't frozen, and there =
was certainly enough water around to make it every bit as mucky as the =
day before.
So the question is, does water begin to "harden" before it actually =
becomes ice?  I understand that the activity (of the molecules?) slows =
as the temperature drops, but when I stick my hand into cold water (say =
water just above freezing), it feels every bit as liquid as when I put =
my hand into lukewarm water. If there is a "hardening" process before =
forming ice, does it happen in a very narrow band of temperature just =
above the freezing point?
I've tried to find an answer to this burning question on the internet. I =
found several sites that talked about super cooled water and the way the =
molecules line up in different ways in liquid water and ice, but nothing =
that explained why water that should still be liquid appears to be more =
solid, but not frozen, as the temperature drops to near freezing.
Thanks,
Andy Moir
Freeport=20


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<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; =
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I have a question about the properties =
of water as=20
it goes through the transition from liquid to solid.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Yesterday, following the heavy rains =
and mild=20
temperatures, our stable yard was quite a mucky mess.&nbsp; It was easy =
to sink=20
well past one's ankles in mud.&nbsp; This morning when I went out, the =
ground=20
was not frozen, but it was certainly much more solid to walk =
over.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>When I went out this morning, the =
temperature was=20
+2.3C.&nbsp; The overnight low was +1.8C.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>There were still pools of water in the =
footprints=20
(and hoofprints) made in yesterday's muck, so the ground certainly =
wasn't=20
frozen, and there was certainly enough water around to make it every bit =
as=20
mucky as the day before.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>So the question is, does water begin to =
"harden"=20
before it actually becomes ice?&nbsp; I understand that the activity (of =
the=20
molecules?) slows as the temperature drops, but when I stick my hand =
into cold=20
water (say water just above freezing), it feels every bit as liquid as =
when I=20
put my hand into lukewarm water. If there is a "hardening" process =
before=20
forming ice, does it happen in a very narrow band of temperature just =
above the=20
freezing point?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I've tried&nbsp;to find&nbsp;an answer =
to this=20
burning question on the internet. I found several sites that talked =
about super=20
cooled water and the way the&nbsp;molecules line up in different ways in =
liquid=20
water and ice, but nothing that explained why water that should still be =
liquid=20
appears to be more solid, but not frozen, as the temperature drops to=20
near&nbsp;freezing.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Thanks,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Andy Moir</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Freeport</FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV></BODY></HTML>

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