Navigate Select ESC Close

For 200 Years We Were Wrong About Why Water Ice Is Slippery

2025-09-18 Science & Technology
133.7k
8.5k
1.1k
Anton Petrov
Anton Petrov
1.6m subscribers

New Study Challenges 200 Years of Physics on Why Ice Is Slippery

Discover the groundbreaking molecular science that may overturn two centuries of common explanations for ice slipperiness. This research details a previously unconsidered mechanism occurring at the atomic level, even in deep cold.

Short Summary

  • The established theories of pressure melting and frictional heating fail to adequately explain ice slipperiness under very cold conditions.
  • New molecular simulations point to "cold displacement-driven amorphisation" as the primary mechanism for surface lubrication.
  • This process involves molecular dipoles disrupting the ice crystal structure, creating a liquid-like amorphous layer without traditional melting or high pressure.
  • Surface characteristics, like hydrophobia, significantly influence the friction coefficient of this new amorphous layer.

This discussion explores a recent study that profoundly questions long-held beliefs about why ice slides easily. It contrasts the old models (pressure/heat) against new atomic-level findings using molecular computer simulations. Understanding this new model reveals the complex science behind everyday phenomena like skating or dropping an ice cube.

Unlock all features

FREE: Get instant access to 10 AI summaries, chats, or transcripts per day.

Description

Support this channel on Patreon to help me make this a full time job: https://www.patreon.com/whatdamath (Unreleased videos, extra footage, DMs, no ads) Alternatively, PayPal donations can be sent here: http://paypal.me/whatdamath Get a Wonderful Person Tee: https://teespring.com/stores/whatdamath More cool designs are on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3QFIrFX Hello and welcome! My name is Anton and in this video, we will talk about new study that challenges 200 years of physics about why ice is slippery Links: https://journals.aps.org/prl/pdf/10.1103/1plj-7p4z https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4442/6/1/26 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11249-016-0665-z Other ice videos: https://youtu.be/upJxH1cTvVE https://youtu.be/tNBv_U-95SM https://youtu.be/s-Tk4JO4Ohc https://youtu.be/BxAvat0PD8g 0:00 Why is ice slippery? 1:30 What we thought previously - liquid layer 2:50 Pressure melting proposition 3:43 Frictional heating proposition 4:17 Experiments couldn't prove it 5:20 New research using molecular simulations and exciting discoveries 8:10 Evidence from the study 8:45 Unusual findings 10:15 Amorphization, viscosity and surface types 11:40 What all of this means 12:40 Conclusions and what's next #ice #water #physics Enjoy and please subscribe Bitcoin/Ethereum to spare? Donate them here to help this channel grow! bc1qnkl3nk0zt7w0xzrgur9pnkcduj7a3xxllcn7d4 or ETH: 0x60f088B10b03115405d313f964BeA93eF0Bd3DbF Thank you to all Patreon supporters of this channel Special thanks also goes to all the wonderful supporters of the channel through YouTube Memberships Licenses used: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ and relevant Creative Commons licenses

Top Comments (10)

@AndrewBreding 2025-09-18

I was always suspicious of the melt hypothesis but questioning it would put you on thin ice

711 31 replies
@smedleyx 2025-09-18

This is great; it's good to look at common phenomena. There must be a lot of other assumptions that we're currently wrong about.

273 35 replies
@LuisEdGm 2025-09-19

Water is such a crazy substance, it has so many unique properties.

256 21 replies
@megametashow 2025-09-19

Next Week: Scientists discover that water isn't as wet as we thought.

162 12 replies
@robertmacpherson9044 2025-09-18

I have never really been comfortable with the old explanation, so it's very pleasing to hear this one.

116 16 replies
@Montrala 2025-09-18

This has potentially big practical impact. For example on how winter tires are designed.

108 25 replies
@Qrzysie2kk 2025-09-19

Very big year in physics, first we derive the mechanism for stirring, now we discover the mechanism of slipping on ice. I wonder what will happen next.

59 11 replies
@jrrarglblarg9241 2025-09-19

Once again, a glib statement by my high school chemistry teacher is the underlying explanation: “It’s all about the electrons. They’re in charge of everything.”

29 1 replies
@amantedelcafe8399 2025-09-19

I seem to recall that Feynman, in 'Magnets' (1983 BBC series Fun to Imagine), caveated the pressure melting explanation with "...so they say..."...

20
@JoeSc. 2025-09-19

Pressure and phase transitions are bulk properties so we can't say the top layer turns into a liquid even though it has liquid-like properties.

15

Unlock the Data Inside
Turn Videos into Knowledge

  • Get FREE 10/day: transcripts, summaries, chats
  • Chat with videos, export text & PDF
  • $1 free API credit for RAG, chatbots & research

Free forever plan • All features unlocked

App screenshot