Sorry not so much a DIY question but an intriguing one that I couldn't find a clear answer to.
I knocked a couple of large icicles of the roof and caught them as they fell. While holding them in my hand they barely melted. Yet when I stuck one in the sink leaning on the stainless steel tap you could see it instantly meting into the shape of the tap!!
I thought maybe the tap was hot as its a mixer but it was cold.
I take it there is a logical reason for this?
To follow on from Jim K's explanation: Your hand is hot, but it is also a relatively poor conductor of heat. That means the icicle was effectively only being melted by a (relatively cool) few mm of skin.
The tap was much cooler, but it is an excellent conductor, so the whole tap was melting the icicle.
It also explains why used tea bags get hotter as you hold them. The relatively low temperature heat takes a few seconds to travel through the outer skin layers to the nerves.
John
To follow on from Jim K's explanation: Your hand is hot, but it is also a relatively poor conductor of heat. That means the icicle was effectively only being melted by a (relatively cool) few mm of skin.
The tap was much cooler, but it is an excellent conductor, so the whole tap was melting the icicle.
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Thanks for the clear explanations Martin and Jim. It makes sense once explained like this. I thought the stainless steel had some properties that melted the ice but then couldn't quite work out why a stainless steel ice bucket wouldn't do the same!!!!
But all clear now.
Cheers.
To follow on from Jim K's explanation: Your hand is hot, but it is also a relatively poor conductor of heat. That means the icicle was effectively only being melted by a (relatively cool) few mm of skin.
The tap was much cooler, but it is an excellent conductor, so the whole tap was melting the icicle.
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Thanks for the clear explanations Martin and Jim. It makes sense once explained like this. I thought the stainless steel had some properties that melted the ice but then couldn't quite work out why a stainless steel ice bucket wouldn't do the same!!!!
But all clear now.
Cheers.
When I was a wireman in a communication equipment factory I used to with thumb and forefinger regularly stroke the solder off the wires when tinning them, Then throw the molten solder on to the bench.
Obviously it was a skill learned. I had my iron set for 350C
Gary
This is ongoing development work being done in the future to send real terminators (not the fancy T2 movie type) backwards through time. For the moment it looks like they have mastered morphing into inanimate objects, but give it some time and they'll morph into representations of you....
One picky addition. Stainless is not a particularly good conductor of heat. Is it possible the tap is some ferrous alloy, plated. Also, it's likely that the icicle was warming up the whole time and that it was just starting to melt naturally when put in the sink.
Steven Campbell used his keyboard to write :
Metal is more conductive than your hand, therefore it will give up its heat faster to the ice.
It can only warm up to 0C.
To expand on Tim's reply - the icicle outside probably wasn't much below zero. Held on your cold skin(perhaps 10 if you've been working outside) not much happens. Don't forget that the body is designed _not_ to lose too much heat on a cold day.
You then stick on the tap, which is likely warmer than your skin, and has a much higher conductivity. The temperature rapidly comes up to zero - and then melting starts. The temperature stays at _exactly_ zero as the energy goes in to turn ice into water.
The tap is of course bolted to the warm pipes and sink...
Andy
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