Newsbreak - ice cubes make drinks cold by melting. That's how they work. So if your reduce the surface area, you impede cooling. Whoever is marketing this is a complete ******.
Newsbreak - ice cubes make drinks cold by melting. That's how they work. So if your reduce the surface area, you impede cooling. Whoever is marketing this is a complete bacon challenged.
Interesting comment. Actually ice cools drinks by absorbing the heat. In the process, it eventually turns from a solid to a liquid. In essence, you are correct that it melts as it cools a drink, and if it does not melt as quickly then it probably does not cool as quickly. However, if the melting occurs inside the sphere, then it is possible the shape could be more effective without diluting the drink. Also, if the heat is dissipated more uniformly throughout the sphere, then it may not melt as much as a rectangular cube. This may be the case, as the edges and corners of cubes usually melt faster. Lastly, a sphere should have a greater surface area than a cube of the same volume, so the ad above is not really accurate.
1. A sphere has the minimal surface area for the volume enclosed.
2. One big sphere has a lot less surface area than a bunch of cubes.
Of course less surface area means less area for heat transfer to occur.
If you really don't want dilution, use plastic cubes, or whiskey stones, or ...
Newsbreak - ice cubes make drinks cold by melting. That's how they work. So if your reduce the surface area, you impede cooling. Whoever is marketing this is a complete bacon challenged.
Interesting comment. Actually ice cools drinks by absorbing the heat. In the process, it eventually turns from a solid to a liquid. In essence, you are correct that it melts as it cools a drink, and if it does not melt as quickly then it probably does not cool as quickly. However, if the melting occurs inside the sphere, then it is possible the shape could be more effective without diluting the drink. Also, if the heat is dissipated more uniformly throughout the sphere, then it may not melt as much as a rectangular cube. This may be the case, as the edges and corners of cubes usually melt faster. Lastly, a sphere should have a greater surface area than a cube of the same volume, so the ad above is not really accurate.
Heat capacity of ice does not provide much of a heat sink compared to the phase transition (melting) so your physics is off. It's mainly melting that provides the cooling effect. And melting can't really occur inside since it's due to heat transfer.
Attention Kmart shoppers... it's just marketing, a novelty item. Either you want one big ice ball or you don't.
A sufficient quantity of ice will reduce the liquid temperature to 32' either way then the melt rate is proportional to the heatsinking of the vessel it's in, ambient temperature, etc., not the ice shape.
1. A sphere has the minimal surface area for the volume enclosed. 2. One big sphere has a lot less surface area than a bunch of cubes. Of course less surface area means less area for heat transfer to occur. If you really don't want dilution, use plastic cubes, or whiskey stones, or ...
I stand corrected about the surface area of a cube vs sphere. Found this on the internet:
The sphere of radius r has volume 4 3 r 3 and surface area 4r 2 the derivations of these formulas can be found on this Wikipedia page. The cube of the same volume as a sphere of radius r has side-length r(4 3 ) 1/3 and thus surface area 6r 2 (4 3 ) 2/3 . Since 6(4 3 ) 2/3 15.6 is bigger than 412.6 the answer is: The cube.
In fact, the sphere is the shape with minimal surface area among all bodies of the same volume, by the isoperimetric inequality.
However, the cooling quality of ice is directly related to its exchange of heat. When it changes to a liquid it requires more energy, but it can still cool a drink without turning to a liquid unless the ice is at exactly 32 degrees. Since most freezers are at 3 degrees, the ice can cool the drink without turinng to a liquid until it reaches 32 degrees.
And now, since we know that the cube has a greater surface area, it will likely melt faster since more of the surface is in direct contact with the drink, which is above 32 degrees.
Comments & Reviews (8)
Interesting comment. Actually ice cools drinks by absorbing the heat. In the process, it eventually turns from a solid to a liquid. In essence, you are correct that it melts as it cools a drink, and if it does not melt as quickly then it probably does not cool as quickly. However, if the melting occurs inside the sphere, then it is possible the shape could be more effective without diluting the drink. Also, if the heat is dissipated more uniformly throughout the sphere, then it may not melt as much as a rectangular cube. This may be the case, as the edges and corners of cubes usually melt faster. Lastly, a sphere should have a greater surface area than a cube of the same volume, so the ad above is not really accurate.
2. One big sphere has a lot less surface area than a bunch of cubes.
Of course less surface area means less area for heat transfer to occur.
If you really don't want dilution, use plastic cubes, or whiskey stones, or ...
Heat capacity of ice does not provide much of a heat sink compared to the phase transition (melting) so your physics is off. It's mainly melting that provides the cooling effect. And melting can't really occur inside since it's due to heat transfer.
A sufficient quantity of ice will reduce the liquid temperature to 32' either way then the melt rate is proportional to the heatsinking of the vessel it's in, ambient temperature, etc., not the ice shape.
I stand corrected about the surface area of a cube vs sphere. Found this on the internet:
The sphere of radius r has volume 4 3 r 3 and surface area 4r 2 the derivations of these formulas can be found on this Wikipedia page. The cube of the same volume as a sphere of radius r has side-length r(4 3 ) 1/3 and thus surface area 6r 2 (4 3 ) 2/3 . Since 6(4 3 ) 2/3 15.6 is bigger than 412.6 the answer is: The cube.
In fact, the sphere is the shape with minimal surface area among all bodies of the same volume, by the isoperimetric inequality.
However, the cooling quality of ice is directly related to its exchange of heat. When it changes to a liquid it requires more energy, but it can still cool a drink without turning to a liquid unless the ice is at exactly 32 degrees. Since most freezers are at 3 degrees, the ice can cool the drink without turinng to a liquid until it reaches 32 degrees.
And now, since we know that the cube has a greater surface area, it will likely melt faster since more of the surface is in direct contact with the drink, which is above 32 degrees.
Thank you!