Endless Facts, One Snippet at a Time
The Strange World of Supercooled Liquids
- Below Freezing: Supercooled liquids stay liquid even when cooled below their normal freezing point.
- Delicate Balance: A tiny disturbance—like a shake or dust—can make them instantly freeze.
- Water Trick: Pure water can supercool down to about –40°C (–40°F) before freezing.
- Crystal Snap: Once freezing begins, ice crystals spread rapidly through the liquid.
- Smooth Surface: Supercooled water looks calm and clear—until it suddenly solidifies.
- Everyday Example: You can supercool bottled water in a freezer, then watch it turn to ice in seconds.
- Nature’s Role: Clouds contain supercooled droplets that form snow and hail.
- Science Tool: Supercooled liquids are studied in physics to understand molecular motion.
- Glass Mystery: Common window glass is sometimes described as a “frozen” supercooled liquid.
- Fragile State: Supercooling shows how temperature alone doesn’t always control matter’s behavior.