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Chapter 12: Problem 59

You decide to cool a can of soda pop quickly in the freezer compartment of a refrigerator. When you take out the can, the soda pop is still liquid; but when you open the can, the soda pop immediately freezes. Explain why this happens.

Short Answer

Expert verified
The soda pop freezes when opened because it has been supercooled in the freezer - chilled beyond its freezing point but still in liquid form due to lack of nucleation points for ice crystals to form. When the can is opened, the release of carbon dioxide creates bubbles which serve as nucleation sites, leading to immediate freezing.

Step by step solution

01

Definition of Supercooling

Supercooling, also known as undercooling, is the process of reducing the temperature of a liquid or a gas below its freezing point, without it becoming a solid.
02

Understanding the Supercooling in the Given Context

When the soda pop is placed in the freezer, the temperature is lower than its normal freezing point. However, the freezing process doesn't occur because the formation of ice requires a nucleation point (an impurity or a surface to start forming). As the soda is in a sealed and smooth container, this lacks the required conditions for nucleation.
03

The Trigger of the Freezing Process

Upon opening the can, bubbles form due to the release of carbon dioxide (the gas that makes the soda fizzy). These bubbles act as nucleation sites, triggering the rapid freezing of the supercooled soda.

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