Q&A for How to Supercool Water

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What temperature should the water be when it's supercooled?

Meredith Juncker, PhD
Scientific Researcher
Meredith Juncker is a PhD candidate in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center. Her studies are focused on proteins and neurodegenerative diseases.

Meredith Juncker, PhD

Scientific Researcher

Expert Answer

Water can be supercooled at −48.3 °C/−55 °F.

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Question

What kind of container is best for freezing water?

Meredith Juncker, PhD
Scientific Researcher
Meredith Juncker is a PhD candidate in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center. Her studies are focused on proteins and neurodegenerative diseases.

Meredith Juncker, PhD

Scientific Researcher

Expert Answer

Because water expands when it freezes, I would opt for any container that has some flexibilityand isn't too rigid.

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What kind of salt do you need for this?

Community Answer

Any kind of table salt will work.

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Question

Can other liquids also be used?

Community Answer

I've seen someone do it with Coke before. Google "slushy water with Coke".

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Can the water used be any kind of water in a bottle from a shop, or does it need to be a specific brand?

Community Answer

It has to be purified, but any brand is fine.

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Does boiled water work?

Community Answer

No, as you'll concentrate the minerals in the water. On the other hand, if you set up a way to catch and recondense the steam off the boiled water, that would be free of impurities.

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Question

If I open the freezer during the process, but don't touch the water bottle, is it going to work?

Community Answer

It should be fine, as long as the bottle is not sitting in a door tray or a drawer attached to the door.

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Question

Can you supercool purified water with salt added to it? Or would it count as a seed crystal?

Community Answer

While the purified water should be fine, by adding salt, it's no longer truly pure. The salt will cause crystallization to begin.

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Question

Is it possible to supercool a bathtub's worth of water?

Community Answer

It is very unlikely that you will be able to supercool this amount of water without any special preparations.

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Does the ice trigger the process because of its crystal structure?

Community Answer

Yes. Without impurities, the water has nothing to begin crystalizing on, and that's why it can supercool (and superheat too). It's also why you can watch the ice spread outward once something causes crystallization.

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Can I use this with any drink, such as a smoothie?

Community Answer

No, it must be free of anything to crystalize on. It can crystalize on basically everything. Purified/distilled water is just pure H2O with no impurities.

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Question

Should I open the bottle to empty some of the water, so its not completely full?

Community Answer

Yes, but make sure to pour it out into something without touching, to avoid risk of contamination.

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Question

If water freezes because there are seed crystals for it to form on, why can it form on impurities in the water and not on the side of the container?

Community Answer

Actually, it can. You technically need a container free of detects, or you could get crystallization occurring. That said, most glass containers and plastic water bottles are made in such a way that imperfections don't easily exist.

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Question

Is it safe to bottle flip?

Community Answer

I believe the water will freeze. If you are talking about when it's already frozen, you should make sure it doesn't hit anyone in the head. If you want to freeze it, I think it will work.

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Question

How do I check the tap water if I can't open my freezer with purified water?

Community Answer

You can open the freezer, just make sure you don't shake the bottle. Also, you can't use tap water.

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Does the purified water need to be store-bought or can it be made at home?

Community Answer

Filtered water would most likely not work. However, if you distill it with evaporation, that could work.

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