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Why is ice slippery?


SDS

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Posted

"Somorjai's recent discoveries have explained why skaters and pucks slide on the ice. These new findings challenge long-held theories about why ice is slippery. In the past, scientists believed that either pressure or friction melted the ice, creating a water lubricant that allows skates and pucks to slide. Berkeley chemist Michel van Hove, a colleague of Somorjai's, has done calculations which show that skates and pucks do not generate enough pressure to instantly liquefy ice. Somorjai has discovered that ice has a "quasi-fluid layer" that coats the surface of ice and makes it slippery. Even ice that is 200 degrees below zero Fahrenheit (-129 Celcius) or more still has this layer.

 

According to Professor Somorjai, the "quasi-fluid" or "water-like" layer exists on the surface of the ice and may be thicker or thinner depending on temperature. At about 250 degrees below zero Fahrenheit (-157 centigrade), the ice has a slippery layer one molecule thick. As the ice is warmed, the number of these slippery layers increases. This may help explain in part the difference between "fast ice" and "slow ice." As the number of layers increases, the players' skates need to "slosh" through more of these "water-like" layers; more friction occurs in these conditions, slowing the players down. These extra layers would also "soften" a landing for a figure skater--who skates on warmer ice than a hockey player. "

 

http://www.exploratorium.edu/hockey/ice2.html

Posted

"Somorjai's recent discoveries have explained why skaters and pucks slide on the ice. These new findings challenge long-held theories about why ice is slippery. In the past, scientists believed that either pressure or friction melted the ice, creating a water lubricant that allows skates and pucks to slide. Berkeley chemist Michel van Hove, a colleague of Somorjai's, has done calculations which show that skates and pucks do not generate enough pressure to instantly liquefy ice. Somorjai has discovered that ice has a "quasi-fluid layer" that coats the surface of ice and makes it slippery. Even ice that is 200 degrees below zero Fahrenheit (-129 Celcius) or more still has this layer.

 

According to Professor Somorjai, the "quasi-fluid" or "water-like" layer exists on the surface of the ice and may be thicker or thinner depending on temperature. At about 250 degrees below zero Fahrenheit (-157 centigrade), the ice has a slippery layer one molecule thick. As the ice is warmed, the number of these slippery layers increases. This may help explain in part the difference between "fast ice" and "slow ice." As the number of layers increases, the players' skates need to "slosh" through more of these "water-like" layers; more friction occurs in these conditions, slowing the players down. These extra layers would also "soften" a landing for a figure skater--who skates on warmer ice than a hockey player. "

 

http://www.exploratorium.edu/hockey/ice2.html

 

Whatever dude!

Posted

It sounds pretty interesting to me but I'm in science so it figures. Actually, it was published back in 1997. Here's the journal reference for anyone that wants to read it. I couldn't get it for free though.

 

Molecular Surface Structure of Ice(0001): Dynamical Low-Energy Electron Diffraction, Total-Energy Calculations and Molecular Dynamics Simulations, N. Materer, U. Starke, A. Barbieri, M.A. Van Hove, and G.A. Somorjai, Surf. Sci. 381, 190-210 (1997)

Posted

Since we are a team built on speed, would it not make sense for the team to keep the ice as cold as possible? I would wear a jacket to the HSBC if it meant Max could skate 70 MPH.

Posted

"Somorjai's recent discoveries have explained why skaters and pucks slide on the ice. These new findings challenge long-held theories about why ice is slippery. In the past, scientists believed that either pressure or friction melted the ice, creating a water lubricant that allows skates and pucks to slide. Berkeley chemist Michel van Hove, a colleague of Somorjai's, has done calculations which show that skates and pucks do not generate enough pressure to instantly liquefy ice. Somorjai has discovered that ice has a "quasi-fluid layer" that coats the surface of ice and makes it slippery. Even ice that is 200 degrees below zero Fahrenheit (-129 Celcius) or more still has this layer.

 

According to Professor Somorjai, the "quasi-fluid" or "water-like" layer exists on the surface of the ice and may be thicker or thinner depending on temperature. At about 250 degrees below zero Fahrenheit (-157 centigrade), the ice has a slippery layer one molecule thick. As the ice is warmed, the number of these slippery layers increases. This may help explain in part the difference between "fast ice" and "slow ice." As the number of layers increases, the players' skates need to "slosh" through more of these "water-like" layers; more friction occurs in these conditions, slowing the players down. These extra layers would also "soften" a landing for a figure skater--who skates on warmer ice than a hockey player. "

 

http://www.exploratorium.edu/hockey/ice2.html

 

Saturday-Thursday layoffs do suck, don't they?

Posted

I think that this just has to be said... Which gentleman out there wouldn't want to be the "quasi-fluid" or "water-like" layer that appears to be ice in SDS's avatar?

 

If there is one such fella out there that wouldn't... He needs to be taken out behind the woodshed to be severely beat!

 

Probably not real ice, but a man can dream... Can't he?

 

I will just leave it at that...

 

:D

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