We all know that water freezes at 0°C. But does it freeze harder at lower temps?

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My freezer is set at -21°C (-6°F) and tubs of ice cream come out hard as a rock and are near impossible to scoop. But if I set it a few degrees warmer, yet still way below the freezing point of water, I can scoop it easily. So, is there such a thing as both frozen and *really* frozen? Conversely, a boiling point is a boiling point, I believe. Heating water to a temp above 100°C gets you the same steam that you got at 100, just faster. Right?

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Anonymous 0 Comments

The phase transitions are distinct. Going from -1c to 1c goes fully from ice to water. You probably already knew that, though.

The exact properties of water, ice, and steam do vary with temperature. Water becomes more viscous at lower temperatures, but it’s never nearly as pronounced as ice cream (which I believe is a colloid?).

Ice actually does get harder as it gets colder. Ice is prone to brittle fracture and will not bend or stretch before it breaks, so it never behaves much like a liquid, but it *does* change hardness.

Steam, of course, changes in density, pressure, and viscosity with temperature.

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