2006-07-12 14:24:50 · 7 answers · asked by Robert L 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
is the celery frozen when it's put in the water?
2006-07-12 14:28:30 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Does the water freeze if you put the container in the same place without celery? If so, the refrigerator is probably set too low and I wouldn't be surprised if other stuff is developing ice crystals too. That happened to milk in my regrigerator once. Also, if your test subject it put right next to the cold air, it may lower the tempoerature more than in other places, since temperature is the average kinetic motion of particles in an a specific volume... So, the overall refrigerator may be 36 degrees, but in the area where the really cold air is coming out to balance any area that have warmed up, it might be more like 25 degrees or 30 degrees when the compressor is running and putting out cold air. Eventually the cold air mixes with warm air and you get to the average temperature the machine was set to, but not for a little while. So, if you've got your stuff too close to that really cold region it might freeze. ;)
If everything freezes eventually, but the stuff with celery in it freezes faster, maybe it's because there are more surfaces for the water molecules to attach to and form ice crystals from than just the plain bowl edges. Kind of like when you break up sugar cubes they melt faster in hot water because there's more surface area. If there's more surface area for cold water to attach to, perhaps it crystalizes more quickly? Just a thought.
2006-07-12 15:05:16 · answer #2 · answered by Michael Gmirkin 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is likely that one of the compunds in the celery is being absorbed by the water, thus lowering it's freezing point. Tap water does not freeze at 32 degrees F, only distilled water. It's like how adding salt to ice makes it get colder than 32 F.
2006-07-12 14:40:20 · answer #3 · answered by Amish B 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Evaporative cooling. If you're like me, you put the celery in an open tray of water. Being open, the water starts to evaporate. Evaporation requires energy, which is taken from the thermal energy of the remaining water, lowering it's temperature. Since the fridge is already pretty close to zero already, it wouldn't take much to freeze it around the edges. It couldn't freeze completely this way, since then there would be no open source of water to evaporate (ice sublimes too slowly).
2006-07-13 15:06:17 · answer #4 · answered by Dr. R 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do you store in on the shelf that is near the freezer compartment? Move it. Cold air is blown from there and may freeze things under the blower.
2006-07-12 14:29:51 · answer #5 · answered by Kaytee 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This has happened to me too. I tend to try to keep it in the front part of my fridge where it gets exposed to warmer air from time to time. the further back in the fridge you have it, the more it will freeze.
2006-07-12 14:30:35 · answer #6 · answered by celestine 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the refrigerator is up to high probably.
2006-07-12 14:27:41 · answer #7 · answered by Romance 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋