A bowl of water on ice would not freeze?

[jessying]

I have recently did a test. I freeze a water on a big bowl made of porcelain and it turns ice. I took out from fridge and put a smaller bowl of water on top of the big bowl (i.e the ice) and put back into fridge freezer.

Weird enough the water on the smaller bowl did not freeze and turn ice ?

Can anyone tell me why?

[Eclogite]

You have not given sufficient information. For example:
1. What was the volume of the water in the large bowl?
2. What was the volume of water in the small bowl?
3. What is the temperature of the interior of the freezer?
4. Were the bowls place on the same shelf?
5. How long was the large bowl left in?
6. How long was the small bowl left in?
7. How often was the door opened on each occasion and for how long?
8. What was the ambient air temperature for both "experiments"?
9 Etc.

As you see the explanation may be quite simple, but without a complete picture of what happened it is not possible to do more than make a (wild) guess.

[TheVat]

Does this question constitute news? :-)

[Watson]

I think given enough time, water in both bowl will freeze. If not,...............they both melt.

[Starmetal]

Use boiling water in the small bowl and repeat the experiment.

[Dave_Oblad]

Hi All,

I believe jessying might benefit from articles about Water freezing Nucleation. This facet explains why one can reduce a liquid well below its freezing point and remain a liquid.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supercooling

Common observances include putting Beer into a freezer and cooling well below its freezing point. If handled carefully, one can see the Beer is still a liquid. But when opened.. it instantly freezes due to Nucleation. An initial crystal is formed causing a cascade event of crystals using the 1st seed crystal as their foundation.



Regards,
Dave :^)

[Watson]

Going by the OP I was thinking, this is what happened. Why? And as Eclogite said, we don't have enough information. The trick with the super cooled beer is to drink some as it crystallizes. Now that is a good hot summer day, lake beverage.

[TheVat]

Try freezing tapwater and then distilled water. See if the impurities in tapwater would hasten nucleation and keep it from supercooling.