Why does an ice cube melt @ room temperature?
The melting point of water is zero degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit). Room temperature is more like 20 degrees C or 68 degrees F. Therefore, heat is tranferred from the warmer room air to the colder ice cube and it melts.
To understand why an ice cube melts at room temperature, we need to know two important concepts: melting point and heat transfer.
1. Melting point: Every substance has a specific temperature at which it changes from a solid to a liquid. This is known as the melting point. In the case of water, its melting point is zero degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit).
2. Heat transfer: Heat transfer occurs when there is a temperature difference between two objects. Heat naturally flows from higher temperature objects to lower temperature objects until the temperatures equalize. There are three main ways that heat can transfer: conduction, convection, and radiation.
Now, let's apply these concepts to the scenario of an ice cube at room temperature. Room temperature is usually around 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit), which is higher than the melting point of water.
When the ice cube is exposed to the warmer room temperature, heat from the surroundings starts transferring to the ice cube through the process of conduction. The ice cube absorbs this heat, causing its temperature to rise. As the temperature of the ice cube rises above its melting point (0 degrees Celsius), the ice begins to melt and turns into liquid water.
This melting process continues until the ice cube reaches the same temperature as the room (20 degrees Celsius), at which point the ice cube will no longer melt. The ice cube and the room temperature will then reach an equilibrium where heat transfer stops.
In summary, an ice cube melts at room temperature because its temperature is lower than the room temperature. Heat flows from the warmer room temperature to the colder ice cube, causing the ice to melt and turn into water.