Are Those Fast-Freezing Water TikToks Real Or Fake?
Water content abounds in the virtual land of hacks a.k.a TikTok. Creators have shared all sorts of content surrounding H20 and if you have been an avid TikTok scroller for a while, you might have stumbled upon one of those fast-freezing water TikToks. While it is fascinating to watch, chances are the skeptic in some of us has questioned the legitimacy of the videos. Well, the clips may or may not be manipulated, but it is entirely possible to flash-freeze water.
When you put a bottle of water in the freezer until it is supercooled i.e. just below the freezing point, the cold liquid rapidly turns into ice crystals from top to bottom after you slam it against a hard surface. This phenomenon is called nucleation. The experiment works when the water has been in the freezer for about two to three hours. That duration allows the water to reach a temperature just below the freezing point. If the water turns solid somehow, it will not flash-freeze when you tap it.
Thawing the mystery of fast-freezing water
Flash-freezing water is actually just a matter of science. The supercooled liquid quickly turns into ice once you apply pressure. The sudden motion causes the water molecules to form a crystallized surface that acts as a nucleus. Ice crystals rapidly grow around the nucleus.
If you want to try this at home, you will need to get a few things right. A plastic bottle is ideal for this experiment since glass bottles can break when the liquid starts to freeze. Steel bottles shouldn't be used either since they might burst. Filter the water to remove any debris that can act as nuclei for crystals to form around while the bottle is in the freezer. When you remove the bottle from the freezer, make sure you are gentle with it.
The amount of time your water bottle spends in the freezer is important as well. If it's in there for the amount of time necessary to create ice cubes, it's too late to flash-freeze the water.
By the way, you can flash-freeze soda, too. However, among the things that constitute soda are numerous additives like sugar and food coloring. The solutes cause the freezing point of soda to drop, so it might take a longer time for it to reach the right temperature. In any case, flash-freezing water or soda doesn't really happen in one go, so make sure everything is in order before you conduct this fun little experiment.