Not sure if I should have put physics or chemistry as the tag.
I have 2 ice cube trays that I always empty and refill at the same time. Every time, without fail, the top tray’s cubes break loose easily and without cracks while the bottom tray’s cubes don’t want to release and will shatter if forced. This remains true no matter which tray I place on top or bottom. Since this puzzles me every day, I just really would like to know why!
In: Physics
Top tray exerts pressure downward, which resists the expansion of the bottom ice. The ice has to expand somewhere, and fills in more of the small nooks and crannies in the tray, making it harder to remove the cubes.
The top tray doesn’t have this issue since there is nothing above it and the ice can expand freely upward as it freezes.
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