Lets say there's 2 water bottles in the freezer. One is filled with pure h2O and the other is filled will equal volume of pure alcohol. They are both exactly 0 degrees C when removed from the freezer. Which will get colder faster? Does the lower density of alcohol make it more susceptible to the heat?
Reason for question: I want to make my own camping ice packs for a cooler. I was wondering what my best bet for a long lasting cold solution would be. Thanks.
Reason for question: I want to make my own camping ice packs for a cooler. I was wondering what my best bet for a long lasting cold solution would be. Thanks.
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A bottle of liquid water versus a bottle of alcohol, you check their specific heat
specific heat of water is 4186 J/kgC
specific heat of methanol is 2470 J/kgC
specific heat of isoproponal is 2370 J/kgC
specific heat of ethanol is 2300 J/kgC
heat of fusion of ice is 334 kJ/kg
taking "alcohol" to be 2400, you can see water is much better than alcohol, almost twice.
"They are both exactly 0 degrees C when removed from the freezer. Which will get colder faster" Neither, they will get warmer, not cooler. As above, the water will get warmer slower.
Now if the water is frozen, it works a lot better, as the ice has to melt, which absorbs a lot of heat. For example, ice at 0ºC warming to 10º absorbs about 20 times that of liquid alcohol.
Ice is your best bet. Best if you cooled it well below freezing.
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specific heat of water is 4186 J/kgC
specific heat of methanol is 2470 J/kgC
specific heat of isoproponal is 2370 J/kgC
specific heat of ethanol is 2300 J/kgC
heat of fusion of ice is 334 kJ/kg
taking "alcohol" to be 2400, you can see water is much better than alcohol, almost twice.
"They are both exactly 0 degrees C when removed from the freezer. Which will get colder faster" Neither, they will get warmer, not cooler. As above, the water will get warmer slower.
Now if the water is frozen, it works a lot better, as the ice has to melt, which absorbs a lot of heat. For example, ice at 0ºC warming to 10º absorbs about 20 times that of liquid alcohol.
Ice is your best bet. Best if you cooled it well below freezing.
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