

The team’s calculations suggest that the magnitude of the covalent bond relaxation accounts for the experimental differences in the time it takes for hot and cold water to freeze. The process of covalent bonds giving up their energy is essentially the same as cooling, and so warm water should in theory cool faster than cold. Fill two identical containers with hot and cold tap water. Background Research: Hotter water freezes faster than colder water in some circumstances. Govindan suggests conducting a simple experiment to demonstrate that hot and cold water will behave as logic predicts. The freezing process will be slower with a lid covering the water. The stretching in the hydrogen bonds allows the covalent bonds to relax and shrink somewhat, which causes them to give up their energy. It will actually take more time and energy to freeze hot water because it must be brought down further in temperature until it reaches the freezing point, about 0☌. When the liquid warms up, the hydrogen bonds stretch as the water gets less dense and the molecules move further apart. They propose that when the water molecules are brought into close contact, a natural repulsion between the molecules causes the covalent bonds to stretch and store energy. The team now suggest it is these bonds that cause the Mpemba effect. These forces occur when a hydrogen atom from one molecule of water sits close to an oxygen atom from another. This is called the Mpemba effect after the student who observed it. Key Takeaways: Water Temperature and Rate of Freezing Sometimes hot water freezes more quickly than cold water. However, it does not always happen, nor has science explained exactly why it can happen. The separate water molecules are also bound together by weaker forces generated by hydrogen bonds. Yes, hot water can freeze faster than cold water. These bonds involve atoms sharing electrons and are well understood. Each water molecule is composed of one oxygen atom bonded covalently to two hydrogen molecules. Now a team of physicists from the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, led by Xi Zhang, have found evidence that it is the chemical bonds that hold water together that provide the effect. Astronaut Spies “Intriguing Sight” Of Bright Dot On Earth From The ISS
