Something strange happened to my Coke (Physics Q)?

Question

I poured some coke into a bowl and put it in the freezer, something I had done many times before to make a Coke-Slushie of sorts. Anyway, this particular time, I took the bowl out too soon and I saw that the coke was still liquid, but when I dipped my finger into it (to see how cold it was) the whole thing suddenly froze. It turned into ice right before my eyes, soft, mush-like ice. Is there a scientific explanation for this?

PS: I’m pretty sure I wasn’t hallucinating (like a dear friend of mine had suggested,) I’m also sure my freezer isn't possessed, I checked ;)

Answer 1

This is called super cooling; it is possible to get a liquid to chill well below its normal freezing point under certian conditions. Any disturbance [such as touching it, snapping the container with your finger, dropping just about any solid into it, etc] of the liquid will start the freezing process. Usually, the liquid won't go completely to a totally hard, solid. The person who described heating water in the microwave; that was super-heating. PS you can do the same thing with bottled water, pull it out of the freezer and snap the bottle with your finger, it will go nearly solid in seconds.

Answer 2

From the sounds of wha you described it sounds like the coke you put into your freezer got supercooled. Supercooling occurs when a liquid is subjected to a cold environment that has a low enough pressure to keep the liquid from freezing into a solid or slush in this case. A freezer would fit the bill especially if it's a frost free freezer.

I imagine that when you opened the freezer and the pressure equalized it would have remained in it's liquid supercooled state for a very short time before it would have frozen into the slush you were expecting. However if you touched it, it would provide enough of a disturbance to cause the liquid to crystalize and create the resulting slush you saw.

I'm not sure if this is the exact answer, but it's the best one I could think of that would fit what you saw happen.

Answer 3

This is weird, four days ago it happened the same thing to me, I put the whole two double litter of Diet Coke into the freezer and when I tried to pour some into my cup it was the same mushy kind of gel thing, I immediately throw it out, and I will not buy Coke again, actually I am a Pepsi person but if the Coke is on sale I buy it, but now...not even if they give it for free. Now that you just mention it, it's kind of gross thinking that there might be something wrong with this soda.

Answer 4

kinda like when I put a cup of coffee in the microwave for 2 minutes, it does not appear to be boiling, but when I add sugar, it boils all over the counter! It has something to do with the sudden onslaught of material a drastically different temperature being inserted into it. I cannot be more scientific than that as I am no scientist.

Answer 5

it takes a disturbance to make it freeze. for example, there are places that have big tubs of water that are WAY belowing freezing temperature but haven't frozen because if the liquid is pure enough and still enough, it won't crystalize. (i don't remember why this matters)

Answer 6

that's not so weird. i know if you put a can of coke in the fridge for a while (less than an hour) and then open it , it automatically freezes

Answer 7

dude omg i have no idea but the same thing happened to me like a week ago. plus it was like 110 degrees in the room so you would think it would get warmer right?

Answer 8

maybe it has to do with the impurities on your fingers , like salt, since the addition of impurities lowers the frezing point of liquids

Answer 9

im trying that
how long did you wait until you took it out?
please message me!!!!

Answer 10

Check again... its possessed