University of Arkansas Researchers Identify Transformation in Low-Temperature Water

just came across this interesting article. did a search but didnt find anything.

newswire.uark.edu...

Researchers at the University of Arkansas have identified that water, when chilled to a very low temperature, transforms into a new form of liquid.

Through a simulation performed in “supercooled” water, a research team led by chemist Feng “Seymour” Wang, confirmed a “liquid-liquid” phase transition at 207 Kelvins, or 87 degrees below zero on the Fahrenheit scale.

“On a miscrosecond time scale, the water did not actually form ice but it transformed into a new form of liquid,” Wang said.

so basically, if the temperature drops rapidly enough, water doesnt freeze.. but expands? i am wondering how far it can expand. and what that state would represent.

Our study shows water will expand at a very low temperature even without forming ice.

found that last bit quite interesting. so granted it is a simulation. can someone shed more light on this subject? does this mean it would produce the same results in a physical lab experiment? or am i misunderstanding the use of the word 'simulation'?

what accounts for the change in state? is it sub-atomic rearrangement or expansion?

I think they call that slushies. We have been making those for years. I guess these scientists never had brain freeze before.

I read something about this already a year ago but the new info is a lot more detailed. The old three states of water was never right, just because everyone believes something does not mean it is real. I learned this floating boats down the side of the street at the end of winter. the water is clear and changes to gelatin in a second. If you stomp your foot on the road it turns back to liquid and the boat continues down the stream. Lots of power in a kids stomp I guess

Heard about it. It's a microsecond of change. The audacity of scientists to say that water ever stopped being water when it was cold. It's still water just in a different phase. So it's more about finding a new phase. Do other liquids go weird at that phase? Like mercury? Or, something that isn't water?

Wikipedia: Supercooling

Water ...can also be "supercooled" at standard pressure down to its crystal homogeneous nucleation...The process of supercooling requires that water be pure and free of nucleation sites... If water is cooled at a rate on the order of 106 K/s, the crystal nucleation can be avoided and water becomes a glass.

I can't wait for the spintronics science that makes permanent supercooled water-glass at room temperature.

Sort of puts a spin on having a glass of water huh?

Originally posted by Sandalphon
Heard about it. It's a microsecond of change. The audacity of scientists to say that water ever stopped being water when it was cold. It's still water just in a different phase. So it's more about finding a new phase. Do other liquids go weird at that phase? Like mercury? Or, something that isn't water?

Wikipedia: Supercooling

Water ...can also be "supercooled" at standard pressure down to its crystal homogeneous nucleation...The process of supercooling requires that water be pure and free of nucleation sites... If water is cooled at a rate on the order of 106 K/s, the crystal nucleation can be avoided and water becomes a glass.

I can't wait for the spintronics science that makes permanent supercooled water-glass at room temperature.

Sort of puts a spin on having a glass of water huh?

edit on 15-7-2013 by Sandalphon because: freeze!

So black ice, the stuff of motor vehicle deaths...how does it form?

I think it is only called "black" ice because it is glass like.

I have seen glass like ice in the gutters before.

Am i misunderstanding something?

Marvellous stuff, water is.

I've often mused over what this planet would be like if water became more dense in solid form than it is as a liquid IE ocean ice would sink instead of floating. There's also the phenomenon of water superheated in the microwave at room temperature exploding when mechanically disturbed such as tapping the container.

Black ice is nasty stuff to encounter on a country road here and this is the season for it. The previous night's frost melts during the day leaving a thin even film of water on the surface which freezes to glass-like pure ice the following night if the day-time temperature is insufficient to evaporate the liquid and you really don't know it's there until you're on it and it's too late to do anything about it then unlike frost which you can see before you're on it. The golden rule is to anticipate it and definitely don't try to change direction once you're on it.