• Question: Why is ice cold?

    Asked by giuola to Meeks, Pete, Stephen, Steve, Tom on 22 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Marieke Navin

      Marieke Navin answered on 21 Jun 2010:

      Ice is cold as it takes away the heat from your hand and uses that energy to melt from its solid phase to its liquid phase. In a solid (colder) the particles are all held together in a rigid formation – in a liquid (hotter/more energetic) the particles can move and slide around over each other. The water uses the energy from your hands if you touch it, to increase the energy and allow it to melt, so it feels cold.

    • Photo: Stephen Curry

      Stephen Curry answered on 21 Jun 2010:

      Ice is cold because it is formed by removing the heat energy from water so that it’s temperature drops.

      Ice only forms once the temp dips below zero. Therefore, compared to room or body temperature (20-37°C), ice will always feel cold.

      Brrrrr.

    • Photo: Steve Roser

      Steve Roser answered on 22 Jun 2010:

      in general hot and cold are about energy moving around – so hot things tend to give you energy, cold things take it from you. When you put a liquid like acetone on you hands it feels cold because it is taking energy from you to give it energy to evaporate. This is why we sweat. Ice is cold because it takes energy to break the bonds to form water, to melt it – that energy comes from you, and so it feels cold.

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