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When hot water freezes before cold
Author(s) -
J. I. Katz
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
american journal of physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.541
H-Index - 99
eISSN - 1943-2909
pISSN - 0002-9505
DOI - 10.1119/1.2996187
Subject(s) - freezing point depression , front (military) , freezing point , thermodynamics , solubility , refining (metallurgy) , temperature gradient , physics , mechanics , meteorology , materials science , chemistry , metallurgy
I suggest that the origin of the Mpemba effect (the freezing of hot water before cold) is freezing-point depression by solutes, either gaseous or solid, whose solubility decreases with increasing temperature so that they are removed when water is heated. They are concentrated ahead of the freezing front by zone refining in water that has not been heated, reduce the temperature of the freezing front, and thereby reduce the temperature gradient and heat flux, slowing the progress of the front. I present a simple calculation of this effect, and suggest experiments to test this hypothesis

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