Why do ice cubes stick to my fingers?

Why do ice cubes stick to my fingers

Ice cubes sometimes stick to your fingers and when they do, it can be particularly unpleasant. In question, a physical phenomenon ultimately very simple.

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It has happened to us all to find our finger stuck to an ice cube, even to a frozen metal pole, thewinter. We have also noticed that the fingers do not necessarily stay stuck when we grab an ice cube. What makes the difference?

The ice melts then quickly becomes ice again

In order for the skin to adhere to the ice cube, both the ice cube must be at a temperature below -5 ° C and the skin is slightly damp. On contact with the hot finger, a thin layer of ice melts on the surface of the ice cube, and theliquid water penetrates the skin.

The heat exchanges will make the water very quickly turn into ice again – if the ice cube was large enough and cold at the start -, taking with it the moisture initially present on the finger. Hence the feeling of being stuck to the ice cube. To get rid of it, just warm the contact point slightly.

How to prevent ice cubes from sticking together?

When we ask ourselves the same question concerning the ice cubes between them, the answer is not far from being the same. Stacked one on top of the other, the ice cubes are subjected to increased pressure for a moment – especially at the edges – which will cause them to melt slightly. Very quickly, the water liquid will turn into ice again and stick the ice cubes together.

Tip: to avoid this phenomenon, grandmother’s recipe consists of pouring a little sparkling water on the ice cubes.

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