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From: kfl@5941ux.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.misc
Subject: Re: Re(1,2,3): boiling hot water(now freezing)
Message-ID: <367@5941ux.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 17-Aug-83 16:46:14 EDT
Article-I.D.: 5941ux.367
Posted: Wed Aug 17 16:46:14 1983
Date-Received: Thu, 18-Aug-83 00:58:32 EDT
References: hplabs.1706
Lines: 23

For the record, there was an article in Scientific
American several years ago (I think in 1977 or
1978), that explained why very hot coffee cooled to
room temperature faster than moderately hot coffee
(I forget the 2 temperatures, but the idea is that
the hotter one reached room temp. first).  A very
reasonable thermodynamic study was presented in the
article and the conclusion was that the impurities
in the water (i.e. the coffee) produced different
crystal structures when cooling in different manners,
and the different crystals had different specific
heats.

The same arguement could probably apply to impure
tap water in the freezer.

P.S.  The first and last time I read this article
was in 1977 or 1978, so I may have messed up some of
the facts.  Check the article for yourself, if you
care.

Ken Lee
5941ux!kfl