How/why does ice “stick” to any cup it’s been frozen into, regardless of cup material?

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Not sure whether to file as chemistry or physics, since I’m not sure if it’s because the ice is somehow binding to the plastic/glass, or if it has to do with it being a “perfect fit” in terms of imperfections… or if it’s something else entirely

In: Chemistry

2 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

when water freezes, it expands, so it’ll create much tighter tension with the cup its in as it expands out as well as up.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Large chucks of ice retain a colder temp at the core. As ice is pressed against the side of the vessel the outside melts into water but re-freezes once it chills the surface. Small chunks won’t do this, as they do not retain a cold enough core to get the surface cold enough to re-freeze the initial melt.