make crystal clear ice!

make crystal clear ice!
in this instructable I will show you how to make crystal cear ice without any special equipment! it is super easy! you will be surprised!

 
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Step 1Use filtered water!

use filtered water!
the filtered water is much more pure and clean!
one of the things that causes the cloudiness of the ice is dust and
extra minerals in the water - the filtered water is much better for our clear ice!
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170 comments
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Sep 14, 2011. 9:18 AMsgossen says:
I was wondering how to make clear ice to driink with whiskey. By accident I found that I can make clear ice if I freeze normal tap water with an open top vacum insulated cup.
Sep 13, 2011. 11:05 AMcuendou says:
yeah well... i think that's very nice exercise ! thanks for the tip
Aug 25, 2011. 2:06 PMgogglecrab says:
I have a question, Does the ice have to completely cool before a second boiling process?
Oct 9, 2007. 7:02 AMme says:
when you freeze hot/warm water, it will freeze more quickly as regular cold water
Jul 12, 2010. 3:32 PMbtcarnovale says:
Let's do a "thought experiment". Start with two totally identical freezers. (This is a thought experiment, so they can be totally identical.) Take two identical containers. Put a sample of room temperature (let's say 70 deg F) water in one, and an equal amount of hotter (let's say 90 deg F) water in the other. Now put each of the containers in its own identical freezer. After some period of time the 90 deg water will have cooled down to 70 deg F. But in that same period of time the water that started at 70 deg F will have also cooled down. No matter what the period of time the water that started out hotter will ALWAYS BE PLAYING CATCH UP.  So it cannot ever freeze faster than the cold water.
Jul 5, 2011. 1:32 AMTheChemist123 says:
i'm guessing you didn't take chemistry when you posted this. actually, water that is 90 degrees has more energy than water at 70 degrees. for the most part, you see that this follows logic and common sense. the freezer, let's say, is at 0 degrees, just for simplicity.

now, think about diffusion, more specifically entorpy: movement of heat from a higher "concentration" source to a lower concentration source. this movement can be facilitated/sped up by larger differences in concentration.

since water at 90 degrees has a larger energy difference with a 0 degree environment than water at 70 degrees with a 0 degree environment, the water at 90 degrees will actually freeze faster, because the heat in the 90 degree water will diffuse/escape from the water much more quickly as a result of entropy.
Jul 5, 2011. 6:52 AMbtcarnovale says:
The water at 90 will certainly be cooling off faster AT FIRST. But at some point the 90 degree water must be at 70 degrees.

Are you claiming that once the 90 degree water reaches 70, that it will then cool faster than water that simply started at 70?

Thought experiment:
Put 90 degree water in one freezer. Wait until it reaches 70. At that instant, you put some 70 degree water in another freezer.

Now you have two freezers, each with an identical container of 70 degree water.

What happens now? Why/how would the water in one freezer cool faster?

In my response to zmarsh below I attempted to encapsulate the above argument in a rigorous fashion. If there's an error in the math or logic, please point it out to me.

(And BTW, I was a double major math-chem until midway in my junior year at which time I realized that math was the place for me.)
Aug 4, 2011. 9:23 AMSumGie says:
The error is that freezers have thermostats.
The compressor cycles according to the internal temperature of the freezing chamber. When you put more heat into one freezer than you do into the other, you trigger the thermostat to turn on the compressor in that freezer faster. There is hysteresis. *(did I spell that right?) in this process. The freezer puts more effort into removing heat than is needed to achieve freezing. That freezer will temporarily get colder than the other one. So the hotter water has more effort applied to removing its heat than the cooler water does. It can, therefore, indeed be frozen sooner.

If you were simply using a heat sink (such as a quantity of existing ice) to remove the heat from the water, this would not be so, but since you are using an active system, it is.
Jun 29, 2011. 6:27 PMzmarsh says:
The hot water is hotter and it will need to cool down more, but it still cools down faster. It's possible that they will both be ready at the same time
Jun 29, 2011. 11:57 PMbtcarnovale says:
OK, for the sake of argument, let's assume that hot water reaches 0 C sooner than the same amount of cold water. (This eliminates having to deal with the non-linearity of crystal formation.)

so if TH is the length of time for the hot water to reach 0 C, and TC is the length of time for the cold water to reach 0 C, and DT is the difference between those times, then

TC > TH ________because the cold water takes longer to reach 0 C, and

DT = TC - TH ____DT is how much more time it takes for the cold water to reach 0 C than it took for the hot water.

But since the hot water starts out at a higher temperature than the cold water did, the hot water will at some point in its cooling reach the temperature that the cold water started at. Let's call this time D. From there, the amount of time for the hot water to reach 0 C should be equal to TC, the amount of time for the cold water to reach 0 C. At this point in time the hot water has cooled to exactly the temperature that the cold water started at so from here it should take that same amount of time to reach 0 C.

Now we can represent the amount of time for the hot water to reach 0 C as:

TH = D + TC ______Because the hot water MUST at some time go through the temperature that the cold water started at.


Now substitute the right hand side of the second equation for TH in the first equation.

DT = TC - TH

DT = TC -(D + TC)

DT = TC -D -TC

DT = -D

But DT and D CANNOT be the negative of each other because they are both positive numbers representing durations.

So TC cannot be larger than TH.

Furthermore, TC must be larger than TH, because if they were ever equal that would mean that D were 0, i.e., at some pair of hot and cold temperatures, the hot water would have to cool INSTANTANEOUSLY to the lower temperature.
Oct 14, 2011. 11:58 AMgrino says:
Call me in the winter when your hot water lines burst before the cold ones . Sorry no fancy formulas just plain simple reality . I am a 3rd degree black belt in plumbing waterology have phd in turdherding. Ask any pumber or heating guy and he will tell you the same thing only in plain english . Hot water will freeze quicker than cold .
Oct 14, 2011. 2:11 PMbtcarnovale says:
LOL. Good thing I spent my career doing simple things instead of plumbing.

The next time you see a picture taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, THAT was the kind of thing I did for a living until I retired. (And NO, I was not involved with the flawed optics. I worked on the spacecraft itself, not the payload.)
Sep 27, 2011. 7:32 PMcapt_skinny says:
TH = D + TC ______Because the hot water MUST at some time go through the temperature that the cold water started at.

This step contains the logical leap. Yes, the hot water temp MUST at some point be equal to the initial cold water temp, but those are temperatures. It's an assumption to say that the rates of temperature change will also be equal at that point.


Sep 27, 2011. 8:59 PMbtcarnovale says:
If you are going to assert that the rates of change will be different, the onus is on you to provide a reason for that to be the case.
Sep 28, 2011. 7:41 AMcapt_skinny says:
I'm not asserting that the rates of change will be different. I really don't know. I'm asserting that it's an assumption to conclude they WILL be the same merely because the temperatures will be the same.
Sep 28, 2011. 8:34 AMbtcarnovale says:
My assumption is based on the foundation of scientific inquiry. I.e., that two identical systems will consistently behave in the same fashion. That's why different groups will repeat experiments done by others to verify that the same result is obtained.

If you think that my assumption is unwarranted, the onus is on you to provide some reason why you think that is the case.

I also assume that the force of gravity will remain relatively constant throughout the course of my day (subject to the known variations due to irregularities in the distribution of the Earth's mass).

Would you also question that assumption? If so, why? If not, why do you question my assumption that two identical pans of water in identical freezers will freeze at the same time?

Jul 14, 2010. 12:18 PMprioret says:
Your assuming that water freezing is a Linear process. Its not. Phase changes and crystal formation are non-linear. Do a quick search on Mpemba Effect before you do your thought experiment.
Jul 13, 2010. 2:39 PMkricketone says:
well it does here hummm shot a hole in your logic .
Jul 12, 2010. 7:39 AMpdub77 says:
Not true. Anything warmer takes longer because it requires more energy and therefore more time to reach the freezing point.
Jul 14, 2010. 12:18 PMprioret says:
Look up Mpemba Effect.
Jul 14, 2010. 1:19 PMpdub77 says:
This may be true for a very specific set of variables. I will concede that. As a general rule of thermodynamics, however, I stand by my original statement. I am no scientist, though, so I could be wrong on most anything. (not that scientists couldn't be wrong either. . .) = )
Jul 11, 2010. 2:45 PMzpollack says:
i think it has to do with the spacing of the molecules. in the hot water they are more spaced out so there is more room for the cold air to come through and cool it. in the cold water the molecules are tighter and less room for the cold air to come in.
Jul 11, 2010. 12:21 PMKasm279 says:
Longest comment tree on instructibles?
Jul 11, 2010. 8:23 AMraybob says:
From Scientific American: "It all depends on how fast the cooling occurs, and it turns out that hot water will not freeze before cold water but will freeze before lukewarm water. Water at 100 degrees C, for example, will freeze before water warmer than 60 degrees C but not before water cooler than 60 degrees C. This phenomenon is particularly evident when the surface area that cools by rapid evaporation is large compared with the amount of water involved, such as when you wash a car with hot water on a cold winter day. [For reference, look at Conceptual Physics, by Paul G. Hewitt (HarperCollins, 1993).]
Jul 11, 2010. 3:02 PMBuskieboy says:
I've tried this double boil, but used tap water so my results weren't as great. There was still a core of cloudy ice at the center. I should use filtered water, but I need cubes in hot weather so I'll make due. Although this is a great idea for parties etc. I'm fanatical about my ice cubes and I have noticed that hot water does freeze faster than luke warm, but not as fast as cool. The one thing I HAVE noticed is that hot water makes HARDER cubes and they stick more in the tray. The also shatter crack and crumble into small chips/shards too. Some cubes almost leap out by themselves, while others you have to hammer away at, or slightly warm to melt out. Weird. I think the luke warm ones are best while the really hot ones freeze too hard.
Jul 11, 2010. 8:09 AMskylane says:
This is just too funny. When I was a kid this myth was around LOL People still believe it.. LOL The simple truth is... the hotter the water, the longer it takes to cool then freeze. No matter what kind of scientific doubletalk someone tries to throw in... too funny...
Jul 11, 2010. 5:16 PMmashee says:
I thought it was funny too; the amusing part is that you're actually wrong. Your arm-chair-science loses I'm afraid. Though admittedly there's a lot of rubbish explanations to the real science behind it.
Oct 12, 2007. 4:18 AMjridley says:
No, this is an urban legend and is easily disproven. The reason it SEEMS to happen is that if you put warm/hot water in an ice tray, much of it will evaporate before reaching the same temp as the cold water, and so there is much less water to freeze at that point. Try putting equal amounts of cool and warm/hot water in a ziplock bag to prevent evaporation. The cool water will freeze first. Or you can prove to yourself that evaporation is taking place; put an equal quantity of cold and hot water into an ice tray, freeze them both (monitor speed if you wish to) then weigh the resulting cubes. The ones frozen from hot water will be lighter.
Oct 19, 2007. 10:54 PMmtxe says:
Evaporation is not likely to be much of a factor in a freezer.
Oct 20, 2007. 8:20 AMjridley says:
You're kidding, right? It's got the highest temperature differential, plus the relative humidity inside is practically zero. You'll get FAR more evaporation per minute in a freezer than you will in the average house. What makes you think you won't get evaporation in a freezer? Have you ever put a pot of hot water outside in the winter? it steams like CRAZY.
Oct 20, 2007. 9:17 AMmtxe says:
I never said "you won't get evaporation in a freezer".

"You'll get FAR more evaporation per minute in a freezer than you will in the average house."

It should evaporate at relatively the same rate(the only difference is that the water in the freezer would cool more rapidly thus reducing evaporation)

"Have you ever put a pot of hot water outside in the winter? it steams like CRAZY."
Its not evaporating more/faster.
(the "steam" isn't actually steam but rather a mist caused by the evaporating water vapor condensing back into water once it hits the cold air)
Feb 21, 2009. 11:20 PMthepelton says:
Evaporation in a Freezer is what causes Freezer Burn.
Feb 22, 2009. 1:25 PMmtxe says:
Are you sure sublimation isn't what causes Freezer Burn?
Jul 11, 2010. 3:51 PMMinifig666 says:
If your talking about freezer burn as in what hapens when you get realy realy cold, it's neither of these. As far as I'm aware freez burn is simply damage caused to skin cells due to exessive low temprature, th esame with burning yourself on something hot. Someone I know gave himself severe freeze burns on his arm as a dare, and another trying to disprove the theroy you can freeze then flick your nipple of. Odd odd times indeed.
Feb 22, 2009. 10:52 PMthepelton says:
I have to admit I didn't pass Physics. I'll have to look that up, and get back to you.
Oct 21, 2007. 1:17 PMmoopet says:
You're correct in saying it's not steam. But doesn't that imply he's correct about the evaporation? Uh-huh.
Oct 12, 2007. 2:17 PMblackjackshellac says:
No, this is an observed effect, evaporation is purported to be only a small aspect of the Mpemba effect. Google it.
Oct 9, 2007. 5:08 PMpodup365.com says:
Not exactly. No matter the temperature of the water, it will freeze at the exact same speed if placed in the same freezing environment.
Oct 10, 2007. 1:40 PMfinfan7 says:
Actually that is only technically true. Technically all water freezes at the same speed: the crystalization speed of water. What me is talking about is that warm water placed in a freezer will achieve total solidity faster than room temperature water in the same freezer.
Oct 10, 2007. 4:43 PMpodup365.com says:
Can it happen? Yes. When this does happen it is a phenomenon known as the "Mpemba Effect". A phenomenon that took a college chemistry lab to prove exists. This phenomenon is extremely unlikely to be repeated inside of a home freezer while making ice cubes. http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/General/hot_water.html
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