You might be surprised how long it takes for it to freeze assuming you drive your card daily and run the heater. Water has a lot of heat mass. Sure, on a week like this one all bets are off, but on most winters a case of water in your car should be fine. Although I drive an SUV, so heat gets all over, maybe in a trunk it won't.

I forgot about a case of water in my trunk that I put in there 2 weeks ago. Took them out today. The perimeter was frozen all the bottles in the middle werent. I was shocked.

I forgot about a case of water in my trunk that I put in there 2 weeks ago. Took them out today. The perimeter was frozen all the bottles in the middle werent. I was shocked.

That's interesting. I have often had bottles of water freeze in my car. I wonder if it is because they were individual bottles rather than cases.

That's interesting. I have often had bottles of water freeze in my car. I wonder if it is because they were individual bottles rather than cases.

Yea I really have no explanation for it. It was a 32pk and the whole outside was close to solid, next layer was maybe 1/3 frozen and everything in the middle was unfrozen. If anyone has a scientific explanation would love to hear it.

Yea I really have no explanation for it. It was a 32pk and the whole outside was close to solid, next layer was maybe 1/3 frozen and everything in the middle was unfrozen. If anyone has a scientific explanation would love to hear it.

 

Heat mass. Water holds a LOT of heat. As the outer layers freeze, the inner layers are also insulated by the outer layers., it works just the same way that lakes don't freeze solid, they just freeze on the surface.

Heat capacity of water is not particularly notable among other common materials. It's a little higher than many metals and minerals, often by a factor of two or more. So, it doesn't really hold a lot of heat, especially considering it is less dense than most solids.

 

It's the phase change, or "heat of fusion." It generally takes a lot more enthalpy to change the phase of a material than to bring it to the phase change temperature. Similar to how it takes 5 minutes to bring a pot of water to a boil but it takes an hour to boil all the water away - even though the pot of water never increases a single degree of temperature during the hour you are putting all that heat into it to boil it.

 

The reason lakes freeze on the surface is because water loses density below about 4 °C. So there is no natural convection during the freezing process because as water gets cold it stays near the surface rather than circulating and causing convective heat transport (unlike boiling). And, yes, this certainly reduces overall heat transport.

 

Kind of like how wet air is lighter than dry air.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2551686/The-pocket-sized-gadget-seal-gunshot-wound-15-seconds.html

 

This is pretty nifty... although not available to the gen public yet... And I bet it hurts like a b*tch!!!

So I learned something kinda cool yesterday. How to open a can w/o a can opener of any kind. Apparently, if you flip the can upside down, and rub it (think like you're sanding the top lip of the can, kinda like when you sand a crush washer down by hand) for a lil bit on concrete, cement, or a large flat rock (sidewalk or paver stone or something of that nature), then squeeze the sides of the can right below the top, the lid will pop open. I tried it with a smaller tunafish can (not one of the peelback cans) and it actually works. I was told it works for larger soup cans also, but haven't tried it yet. If I can find the video I saw on it, I'll post it later.

So I learned something kinda cool yesterday. How to open a can w/o a can opener of any kind. Apparently, if you flip the can upside down, and rub it (think like you're sanding the top lip of the can, kinda like when you sand a crush washer down by hand) for a lil bit on concrete, cement, or a large flat rock (sidewalk or paver stone or something of that nature), then squeeze the sides of the can right below the top, the lid will pop open. I tried it with a smaller tunafish can (not one of the peelback cans) and it actually works. I was told it works for larger soup cans also, but haven't tried it yet. If I can find the video I saw on it, I'll post it later.

 

I am going to need you to do this and make a video of you doing it for both science and comedic reasons!!  PS come back to evening watch!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2551686/The-pocket-sized-gadget-seal-gunshot-wound-15-seconds.html

 

This is pretty nifty... although not available to the gen public yet... And I bet it hurts like a b*tch!!!

 the first comment I see on this on that page says "TAMPONS" hahahah funny yet possibly also effective!

here's the video on how to open the can.

 

I think the most likely scenario I would find myself in is getting stuck on route 78 or 287 for hours because of an accident or road closure.  I keep a Jetboil camping stove in the car, with the french press coffee kit, packets of dry creamer, water, and enough coffee grounds to make 4 cups of coffee.

 

If you know you are going to be stuck on the highway for a long time (especially in the winter), you can't put a price on being able to make yourself a nice hot cup of coffee while you wait it out.

 

GA