Instant Ice Explained: How Nucleation Works

Do you know how to create instant ice? In this video, Alex Dainis explains the science behind this cool experiment. First, she cracks open the tops of a few water bottles and places them on their side in the freezer for two hours, so they’re cold but not frozen. Then, she slowly pours the water onto an ice cube, where it forms a mountain of ice! This is because of a process called nucleation, where water molecules crystalize onto a jagged surface. This means that the water will turn to ice more quickly on the existing ice crystals than on the smooth sides of the water bottle!