Think freezing only happens to H₂O? Think again. Liquid nitrogen freezes at a terrifying -346°F. Mercury, the stuff in old thermometers, freezes at -38°F.
That means on a brutally cold day in Siberia, your thermometer’s mercury might solidify and stop working entirely. Suddenly, your frozen windshield doesn’t seem so dramatic.
The Water Cycle: Why Is It a Tricky Concept?
The Quirky Case of Hot Water Freezing Faster
Here’s a head-scratcher: hot water can freeze faster than cold water. It’s called the Mpemba effect, named after a Tanzanian student who noticed it with ice cream mix. Scientists still argue why.
Is it evaporation? Convection? A glitch in the matrix? No one knows for sure. But it means your next cup of instant coffee might freeze before your leftover iced tea—if you dare to test it.
