4 ms·
We don't know why ice is slippery? I thought that was understood as hydroplaning (small amounts of ice melt and then you have a low-friction scenario where wate
by chadgeidel 10y ago
We don't know why ice is slippery? I thought that was understood as hydroplaning (small amounts of ice melt and then you have a low-friction scenario where water separates the two surfaces). I've read that when ice is cold enough and the other surface (a rubber tire for example) is also below freezing point there is good traction.
Is there a description of this that a layman such as myself with a college degree in mathematics (heavy undergraduate physics) could understand?
- nkurz 10y agoIt may be too basic for you, but I liked this 2005 overview from Physics Today: http://www.chemistry.northwestern.edu/documents/about/RosenbergPhysicsToday.pdf http://www.chemistry.northwestern.edu/documents/about/Rosenb... The problem with the popularly held "pressure melts the ice" theory is that ice can still be very slippery even at temperature-pressure points that are not explained by that explanation. It may be misleading to say that ice's slipperyness is "not understood", but it still is definitely an area of active research, with the understanding and theories evolving more rapidly than one might expect for something "obvious".
- chadgeidel 10y agoThank you!