Fruit blossoms are permanently damaged when the temperature drops below about -4 Celcius (a hard freeze). Orchard owners sometime spray a film of water over the blossoms to protect them when a hard freeze is expected. From hte point of view of phase changes, give a resason for the protection?
2007-01-09 09:01:55 · 2 answers · asked by bhangraking777 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
caprilover79 is on the right track however we must consider the heat insulating properties of ice. This is no secret to the people who live in igloos.
People will argue that air is a better insulator than ice. True but how do we keep it stationary around the blossoms? Hence we resort to ice.
2007-01-10 01:57:14 · answer #1 · answered by Edward 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
at a guess, i would say that the water they spray over the tree with freeze first, ie change from liquid to solid first around the fruit blossoms on the tree, this would take away of the cold to change the state of the water and so less would penetrate to the blossom core
but that's just a guess
2007-01-09 17:12:43 · answer #2 · answered by caprilover79 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋