Can water remain in a liquid state when colder than 0c?

Question

I'm thinking about water say in a river when the air is below freezing and parts of the river has frozen, is the water that is running warmer than freezing or is it the motion that stops the ice particles from forming? I would imagine that contaminates within the water would have some affect also.

Answer 1

Google supercooled water and see these amazing videos of liquid H2O going solid in a few seconds:
http://f0rked.com/articles/supercooling

Answer 2

The movement of the river keeps it from getting that cold because the movement creates some heat. Pollutants do warm it some, but without any present, the river still wouldn't freeze all the way. The air also has to do with it. If it's fall and the temperature starts to change, it takes a lot more to get the cold down to the bottom of the river than to just freeze the top layer that is exposed to the air. This frozen layer sort of protects the bottom of the river from the cold, so it's a lot harder to freeze that.

Answer 3

The general answer is yes, although there are several situation in which this occurs, and for each a different reason. The running river water is probably due to a transferral of friction from the motion to heat, but also to the relatively high heat of fusion of water. You may notice that where the water flow is lowest, the ice forms. Another situation that people overlook because it is so common is ice skating and car tires spinning on ice. The melting point of water DECREASES with increased pressure, which is unusual for most substances. So, when pressure is put on ice, there is a layer of water which forms and stays liquid until the pressure decreases. This allows for skating (a good thing) and cars getting stuck on ice (a bad thing).

Answer 4

Water can remain liquid down to -40° under certain circumstances. In clouds, liquid water droplets are common down to about -20°C and everyone in cold climates has experienced freezing fog which is made of supercooled water droplets.

Many people have experienced trying to cool beer or other drinks quickly in the freezer. When the can is taken out, the beer is still liquid but freezes almost instantly when agitated or the can is opened. You can do the same thing with a bottle of water - open or closed.

Answer 5

Water is most dense at 4 deg C, so at the bottom of most rivers and lakes, the water will be at 4C. When ice forms, the ice stays at the top of the water because ice is less dense than water. This layer of ice will help insulate the water from cold air and help prevent the bottom from freezing.

Answer 6

Sea water can drop to as low as -4C⁰ before freezing. Pure distilled water without any contaminants, in a perfectly clean container can resist freezing as low as -20C⁰. However the normal freezing point of fresh water that has not been treated, is not distilled, is 0C⁰.

Answer 7

As mentioned by another, pressure can keep water as a liquid below 0 C. That's how ice skates work. The weight of the skater on the narrow blade creates a large pressure between the blade and ice. This causes a thin and slippery layer of water between the ice and skate blade.

Answer 8

Yes, it is called supercooled and there are several examples, flowing water is one, salt (for melting ice), mixed with alcohol (radiator coolant).

The flowing water is moving around so much it doesn't give the subzero water the opportunity to form large crystalline structures (frazzle ice). But even high purity, still water can exist below zero deg, water likes to form crystals around a "seed" (speck of dust etc)
.

Answer 9

No, water isn't continually sturdy at 0*C. If there are impurities, the freezing element is incredibly decrease (talked approximately as freezing element melancholy). yet once you pick an unquestionably occasion of how water isn't continually sturdy at 0*C, evaluate whilst a lake freezes over. If the lake is deep sufficient, or the lake does not have sufficient time to thoroughly freeze, there will be liquid water below the ice that's at 0*C. Or, in case you should eliminate the best layer of ice above a lake and degree the temperature of the liquid water below it, you will possibly discover it rather is 0*C. 2) whilst ice melts, warmth is flowing into it from our surroundings. warmth is thermal power which flows from larger temperatures to decrease temperatures- a level of well-known inner kinetic power is temperature. 3. confident, warmth is exchanged until the two bodies have an identical temperature. As I already stated, warmth is thermal power which flows from larger temperature to decrease temperature. If there is not any warmth distinction, there will be no warmth flow. warmth flow does not necessarilly reason a metamorphosis in temperature because power is needed to alter a fabric from one actual state to a distinctive (occasion: for water, you have ice (sturdy) to liquid; or liquid to steam (gas)). The temperature will proceed to be consistent until the finished cloth has accomplished regardless of section replace is occuring. this is why ice and liquid water can the two exist jointly at 0*C because of the fact temperature won't replace in spite of how plenty warmth is extra or taken away until the section replace (subsequently the two liquid to sturdy, or sturdy to liquid) is accomplished. by making use of the way, the ability needed to freeze (solidify) a fabric is talked approximately as warmth of fusion. The power needed to flow from liquid to gas section is talked approximately as warmth of vaporization.

Answer 10

yes, salt lowers the freezing temp of water. Moving water will take longer to freeze as well.