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

Ice absolutely gets harder the colder it gets. Most solids do. That’s why a blacksmith heats the steel before working it.

Your ice cream on the other hand…that getting harder isn’t because the ice is getting harder. Ice cream is a complex mixture of water, fat and sugar. As it gets colder more of the water can freeze and the remaining water has a higher sugar concentration and will need to get even colder to freeze.

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