Ice Cube Melting Rates?

Most recent answer: 10/12/2011

Q:
expain why ice cubes in a cooler melts more slowly than ice cubes lefy out on a tap
- mona (age 11-)
saudia arabia(riyadh)
A:
Hello Mona,
An ice cube melts by absorbing heat.  This heat allows molecules in a piece of ice crystal to break free of their bonds and become part of the liquid water.   The rate of this heat absorption  process is proportional to the difference in  temperature between its surrounding temperature and the ice.  Since the temperature in the cooler is just that, much cooler, the heat transfer rate is much smaller than that on a table at room temperature.

LeeH

(published on 10/12/2011)