Turn Boiling Water to Snow in Seconds [Video]

This article is over 11 years old and may contain outdated information

Recommended Videos

It’s pretty cold in New York City today, but it isn’t negative 41 degrees cold. If I threw a pot of boiling water out the office window, there would just be angry people on the street below. What happens if you threw that same pot of water off a balcony in Siberia, where it actually is 41 below zero Celsius? You get instant snow, a lot of steam, and respectable number of YouTube views.

One thing to remember here is that because of the Mpemba effect, hot water freezes faster than cold water. Here’s a nice simple article explaining why from Phys.org. So this would most likely not work with cold water. It could freeze before it hits the ground, but it probably wouldn’t evaporate the way the near-boiling water does.

Another fine fact, is that the temperature in the video is so close to the point where both Celsius and Fahrenheit meet (-40) that I almost got away with not saying which scale was being used.

(via YouTube)

Relevant to your interests


The Mary Sue is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
Author
Image of Glen Tickle
Glen Tickle
Glen is a comedian, writer, husband, and father. He won his third-grade science fair and is a former preschool science teacher, which is a real job.