. 24/7 Space News .
WATER WORLD
Why does hot water freeze faster than cold water
by Staff Writers
Madrid, Spain (SPX) Nov 20, 2017


A team of researchers from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, the Universidad de Extremadura and the Universidad de Sevilla have defined a theoretical framework that could explain the Mpemba effect, a counterintuitive physical phenomenon revealed when hot water freezes faster than cold water.

The researchers, who have recently published the findings in Physical Review Letters, have confirmed how this phenomenon occurs in granular fluids, that is, those composed of particles that are very small and interact among those that lose part of their kinetic energy.

Thanks to this theoretical characterization, "we can simulate on a computer and make analytical calculations to know how and when the Mpemba effect will occur," said Antonio Lasanta. Lasanta is from the UC3M Gregorio Millan Barbany University Institute for Modeling and Simulation on Fluid Dynamics, Nanoscience and Industrial Mathematics. "In fact," he said, "we find not only that the hottest can cool faster but also the opposite effect: the coldest can heat faster, which would be called the inverse Mpemba effect."

The fact that preheated liquids freeze faster than those that are already cold was observed for the first time by Aristotle in the 4th century AD. Francis Bacon, the father of scientific empiricism, and Rene Descartes, the French philosopher, were also interested in the phenomenon, which became a theory when, in 1960, a Tanzanian student named Erasto Mpemba explained to his teacher in a class that the hottest mixture of ice cream froze faster than the cold one.

This anecdote inspired a technical document about the subject, and the effect began to be analyzed in educational and science magazines. However, its causes and effects have hardly been studied until now.

"It is an effect that, historically, has not been addressed in a rigorous manner but merely as an anomaly and a didactic curiosity," said Antonio Prados, one of the researchers from the Universidad de Sevilla Department of Theoretical Physics.

"From our perspective, it was important to study it in a system with the minimum ingredients to be able to control and understand its behavior," he said. This has enabled them to understand what scenarios it is easier to occur in, which is one of the main contributions of this scientific study.

"Thanks to this, we have identified some of the ingredients so that the effect occurs in some physical systems that we can describe well theoretically," stated researcher Francisco Vega Reyes and Andres Santos, from the Universidad de Extremadura Instituto de Computacion Cientifica Avanzada (Institute of Advanced Scientific Computation).

"The scenario that the effect will most easily occur in is when the velocities of the particles before heating or cooling have a specific disposition--for example, with a high dispersion around the mean value," he said. This way, the evolution of the temperature of the fluid can be significantly affected if the state of the particles is prepared before the cooling.

This research of "basic science," in addition to contributing to improving fundamental knowledge, might have other applications in the mid or long term.

In fact, this group of researchers is planning to carry out an experiment that verifies the theory. Learning to emulate and use this effect might have applications in our daily life, according to scientists. For example, it could be used to make electronic devices which we want to cool faster.

Research paper

WATER WORLD
A well changes lives in ravaged Mali city
Gao, Mali (AFP) Nov 7, 2017
Among the lines of small mud houses, plastic litter and piles of parched earth, children gaze skywards at a shiny blue tank perched on steel legs. It holds a vital resource of which they have been deprived for years: water. In a world where more than a billion people lack access to water, residents of this dusty corner of Gao, the main city in Mali's sprawling arid north, know the terrif ... read more

Related Links
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
Water News - Science, Technology and Politics


Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly


paypal only
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal


Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

WATER WORLD
NASA Moves Up Critical Crew Safety Launch Abort Test

Colossal SoftBank fund could shake up tech world

Stressed seedlings in space

NASA Completes Review of First SLS, Orion Deep Space Exploration Mission

WATER WORLD
Orbital ATK launches eighth cargo mission to space

Vega launches Earth observation satellite for Morocco

Orbital ATK Successfully Tests First Motor Case for Next Generation Launch Vehicle

Russia embezzlement probe at rocket firm Soyuz

WATER WORLD
NASA Opens $2 Million Third Phase of 3D-Printed Habitat Competition

How long can microorganisms live on Mars

Insight will carry over two million names to Mars

Opportunity Does a Wheelie and is Back on Solid Footing

WATER WORLD
China's reusable spacecraft to be launched in 2020

Space will see Communist loyalty: Chinese astronaut

China launches three satellites

Mars probe to carry 13 types of payload on 2020 mission

WATER WORLD
European Space Week starts in Estonia

New Chinese sat comms company awaits approval

Myanmar to launch own satellite system-2 in 2019: vice president

Eutelsat's Airbus-built full electric EUTELSAT 172B satellite reaches geostationary orbit

WATER WORLD
Study explains how droplets can levitate on liquid surfaces

Research highlights ethical sourcing of materials for modern technology

The environmental implications of 3-D printing

A gel that does not break or dry out

WATER WORLD
Astronomers See Moving Shadows Around Planet-Forming Star

Scientists find potential 'missing link' in chemistry that led to life on earth

18-Month Twinkle in a Forming Star Suggests a Very Young Planet

Overlooked Treasure: The First Evidence of Exoplanets

WATER WORLD
Jupiter's Stunning Southern Hemisphere

Watching Jupiter's multiple pulsating X-ray Aurora

Help Nickname New Horizons' Next Flyby Target

Juno Aces 8th Science Pass of Jupiter, Names New Project Manager









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.