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Cold

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Last week I was visiting Fargo to do some work with the Microsoft Business Frameworks team. In the weeks leading up to the visit, our co-workers in North Dakota harassed us Redmond’ites with a variety of emails explaining how cold it had become. Since I have now experienced -22 Fahrenheit (or feels like -47 with “wind chill”), I will be the first to admit that those warnings probably had some technical merit. However, one of the emails suggested what seemed like a fanciful myth designed specifically to rattle us mild weather loving Washingtonians:

When the temperature is lower then -15 below zero, very hot water will vaporize immediately when thrown into the air.

After trying the experiment several times in person – I am now a believer. It is one of the most bizarre things I have ever seen in person. The interesting aspect to the experiment is that it does not happen with cold water. However, even stranger then the actual phenomenon is that not one of my science educated co-workers can explain to me in exact terms why the phenomenon happens. To me, that fact is even more bizarre since generally every computer science guy (including myself) fancies themselves as a renaissance man of the sciences.

However, I guess I can accept the fact that our collected amateur knowledge of physics has it limits. However, from what I can tell, there also seems to be nothing but speculation about the phenomenon on the web. Thereby, it would be much appreciated if anyone can explain to me this phenomenon… until then I will just have to assume it is “magic”.

Comments

  • Anonymous
    February 13, 2004
    Two words: vapor pressure. Not even a mystery.
  • Anonymous
    February 13, 2004
    I don't know about the physics issue, but I'm familiar with the termperature. I got stuck in North Dakota once. I think it was at least -10 that night. I was quite happy when I finally got back home to a "normal" winter of 10-30 degree temperaturs.
  • Anonymous
    February 13, 2004
    I know what you mean. Last week here in Miami I actually had to turn the air conditioner off. I hate the cold.
  • Anonymous
    February 13, 2004
    The comment has been removed
  • Anonymous
    February 13, 2004
    I did the same thing about 3 hours north of Calgary about 2 weeks ago - pretty amazing to a Texas boy...
  • Anonymous
    February 13, 2004
    Being an old thermodynamics guy, It takes heat transfer to cause the "phase change" because the heated water has a higher "delta T" than the cooler water, the phase change happens at a much quicker rate. Actually, Vaporizing isn't accurate. It freezes in very small chunks. I could go on and on... It's just cool to know it works.
  • Anonymous
    March 08, 2004
    The comment has been removed
  • Anonymous
    June 17, 2009
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