Why Freezing Things Keeps Them From Freezing

Summary by Krater

This video explores the physics of why spraying water on plants can protect them from freezing, explaining how the phase change from liquid to ice releases heat and maintains a temperature of 32 degrees Fahrenheit.

From the video

Answers: Does spraying water on plants protect them from freezing?

• physics of water freezing
• supercooled water
• activation energy of ice crystallization
• exothermic ice formation
• protecting plants from frost with water spray

What it concludes

• Ice is a much better conductor of heat than liquid water.
• Water does not freeze at 32 degrees Fahrenheit or 0 degrees Celsius, but rather that is the point at which it can freeze.
• Water has to freeze at about -40 degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit due to the activation energy barrier.
• Rough surfaces tend to form ice more easily than smooth surfaces.
• Ice formation is exothermic and releases heat as it turns from liquid into a solid.
• As long as ice is forming on a plant, the plant itself cannot drop below freezing.