Water/Freezing point: Difference between revisions

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imported>Chris Day
(revert to last version that mentioned it was not measureable)
imported>Milton Beychok
m (Expanded references 7 and 8 to be more informative rather than merely providing urls)
 
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<includeonly>Not Measurable*</includeonly><noinclude>Not Measurable
<includeonly>Not measurable*</includeonly>
<noinclude>Not measurable</noinclude>
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Note: The freezing point of "pure" water is not measurable,<ref>For more information on why the freezing point of pure water is not measurable see:[http://www.iapws.org/relguide/Ice-Rev2009.pdf Revised Release on the Equation of State 2006 for H2O Ice Ih ] The International Association for the Properties of Water and Steam, [[ The Netherlands]], September 2009</ref><ref>For more information on the [[Colligative properties|colligative property]] of freezing point depression of water by adding of a solvent (such as a salt) see:[http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/chemical/meltpt.html Freezing Point Depression in Solutions] Rod Nave, Department of Physics and Astronomy, [[Georgia State University]]</ref>  whereas the melting point is. This is because pure water does not freeze without help of a solid crystallization kernel.<ref>[http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/gen01/gen01672.htm Supercooled Water Demonstration,10/16/2004] from the website of the [[Argonne National Laboratory]]</ref> Very cold (metastable) ''pure liquid water'' can be obtained by "[[supercooling]]" pure water.  Pure liquid water has been reported to be possible down to various extremely low temperatures: (-38°C to -45°C<ref>[http://polymer.bu.edu/hes/articles/ms98.pdf  The relationship between liquid, supercooled and glassy water, Osamu Mishima & H. Eugene Stanley] ''Nature'', vol 396, 26 November 1998</ref>) and (231 K=-43.9°C<ref>[http://polymer.bu.edu/hes/articles/ds03.pdf Supercooled and Glassy Water, Pablo G. Debenedetti and H. Eugene Stanley] ''Physics Today'', vol 40, June 2003</ref>).


Note: The freezing point of water is not measurable, whereas the melting point is. Very pure water (and we only want to consider pure water in this context) does not freeze without help of a solid crystallization kernel; very cold (metastable) liquid water is obtained by cooling down pure water (I forgot the actual numbers but I have in mind that supercooled liquid water of &minus;40 °C can exist). For some reason (which I don't know) "superheated" ice does not exist, so ice always melts at 0 °C, while the transition from liquid to solid water appears at some fairly random temperatures below zero.--[[User:Paul Wormer|Paul Wormer]] 14:23, 8 February 2010 (UTC)
The standard unit of thermodynamic temperature, currently defined in the [[SI system]] as K (Kelvin), selects as the fundamental fixed point the [[triple point]] of water. One Kelvin, and therefore 1°C ([[Celsius]]), is specified by multiple standards bodies<ref>[http://www.bipm.org/en/si/si_brochure/chapter2/2-1/kelvin.html Unit of thermodynamic temperature (kelvin)] From the website of the [[Bureau International des Poids et Mesures]] (BIPM)</ref><ref name=NIST>[http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/kelvin.html Unit of thermodynamic temperature (kelvin)] From the website of the [[National Institute of Standards and Technology]] (NIST)</ref> as the fraction 1/273.16 of waters triple point.  Formerly (until 1954<ref name=NIST/>  the definition developed by [[Anders Celsius]] had fixed the 0°C point at the "freezing point" of water.<ref>[http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/scientists/celsius.html Anders Celsius] From the website of the [[California Energy Commission]]</ref>  It is now generally accepted that while the [[phase transition]] from solid to liquid water occurs at a predictable temperature (namely 0°C), the transition from liquid to solid water does not. This is because the actual "Freezing" is dependent upon the previously mentioned [[nucleation]] as well as the temperature.{{Reflist}}</noinclude>
 
::The [[supercooling point]] of pure water is around -42 °C under standard conditions, but liquid water can exist even below that temperature, especially at surfaces and in non-pure solutions. --[[User:Daniel Mietchen|Daniel Mietchen]] 15:59, 8 February 2010 (UTC)
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Latest revision as of 18:12, 28 July 2010

Not measurable


Note: The freezing point of "pure" water is not measurable,[1][2] whereas the melting point is. This is because pure water does not freeze without help of a solid crystallization kernel.[3] Very cold (metastable) pure liquid water can be obtained by "supercooling" pure water. Pure liquid water has been reported to be possible down to various extremely low temperatures: (-38°C to -45°C[4]) and (231 K=-43.9°C[5]).

The standard unit of thermodynamic temperature, currently defined in the SI system as K (Kelvin), selects as the fundamental fixed point the triple point of water. One Kelvin, and therefore 1°C (Celsius), is specified by multiple standards bodies[6][7] as the fraction 1/273.16 of waters triple point. Formerly (until 1954[7] the definition developed by Anders Celsius had fixed the 0°C point at the "freezing point" of water.[8] It is now generally accepted that while the phase transition from solid to liquid water occurs at a predictable temperature (namely 0°C), the transition from liquid to solid water does not. This is because the actual "Freezing" is dependent upon the previously mentioned nucleation as well as the temperature.

  1. For more information on why the freezing point of pure water is not measurable see:Revised Release on the Equation of State 2006 for H2O Ice Ih The International Association for the Properties of Water and Steam, The Netherlands, September 2009
  2. For more information on the colligative property of freezing point depression of water by adding of a solvent (such as a salt) see:Freezing Point Depression in Solutions Rod Nave, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Georgia State University
  3. Supercooled Water Demonstration,10/16/2004 from the website of the Argonne National Laboratory
  4. The relationship between liquid, supercooled and glassy water, Osamu Mishima & H. Eugene Stanley Nature, vol 396, 26 November 1998
  5. Supercooled and Glassy Water, Pablo G. Debenedetti and H. Eugene Stanley Physics Today, vol 40, June 2003
  6. Unit of thermodynamic temperature (kelvin) From the website of the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM)
  7. 7.0 7.1 Unit of thermodynamic temperature (kelvin) From the website of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
  8. Anders Celsius From the website of the California Energy Commission