why does a glass get wet on the outside when the drink has ice cubes in it?

Question

i would like to know why the surface a glass that has ice and a drink in gets wet? does that make sense?

Answer 1

The fact is, the glass is cold. The moisture in the air condensates on the wall of the glass. If you have a glass half-full, and look carefully, the inner wall of the empty part of the glass could also get wet.

Answer 2

It's called condensation. Not exactly sure how it works, but it has something to do with the ice in the glass lowering the temperature of the glass, and then the air that comes into contact with the glass (which has both hydrogen and oxygen, the two main components of water, in it) drops in temperature just enough for the two gases to recombine and change from gas to liquid. Does that sort of make sense?

Answer 3

It's called condensation -- the coldness of the ice causes water vapor in the air around the glass to cool down and condense into liquid on the side of the glass.

Answer 4

The outer surface of glass becomes colder than the room temperature due to ice inside the glass.The air surrounding the outer glass surface at room temperature becomes cold and moisture in that air condenses and forms water droplets on the glass surface making it wet.It is a natural phenomena.

Answer 5

It is the process of condensation. It is the same idea as to why the windows steam up when it is cold outside. The moisture in the air which has evaporated in the warm air condenses back into liquid when it comes into contact with the cold. Get a science book and it will give you more vivid detail.

Answer 6

Because the outside surface of the glass gets sufficiently cold to condense water vapour in the air into tiny droplets that deposit on the surface. Remember what happens when you breath out on a very cold frosty day - your own moist breath condenses into tiny droplets that looks like a cloud. In fact it is a tiny cloud!

Answer 7

There is water vapour in air. When air touches the outside of a cold glass some of this water condenses. It makes perfect sense.

Answer 8

Moisture in the warm air outside condenses on the cold surface of the glass.

Either that, or your glass has sprung a leak.

Answer 9

It is condensation. Due to the coldness of the glass the warmer air around it containing water vapors is attracted to it. The vapors collect on the cooler surface and form droplets.

Answer 10

i'll be more thorough than the other answers:

warm air can hold more moisture than cold air. so the air in the room has a certain amount in it. the air making contact with the glass is cooled down, and cannot hold all of the water vapor that it could at a higher temperature. this is condensation.