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==Expand== ==Archives==
*]
It'd be nice if someone could expand this a little bit.. ] 04:11, 16 Jul 2004 (UTC)
*]
:Done. --] 20:14, 17 November 2005 (UTC)


==Wording==
== Goofball physics ==
The second paragraph says "common knowledge according to Aristotle during his time", but that's not my understanding of what Aristotle said "the water has previously been warmed". Water that has previously been warmed is '''not''' the same as water that is warm now.
:Goofballs can see the effect in their own kitchens. Simply put a cube-tray of cold water and another of hot water side-by-side in the freezer compartment of your refridgerator. I have not done this in a "frost-free" freezer, but in a frosty one the hot tray froms a bond with the freezing surface, and the water rapidly freezes from the bottom up. Meanwhile, the cold water, insulated by a top film of ice and bottom layer of frost, just sits there. When the hot-water cubes are fully frozen, they will have a dimple on top, whereas the cold-water cubes will be domed. If you peek at the hot-water tray too early, you will see the freezing cubes cup the remaining unfrozen water that is now not so hot. This, by the way, is not an effect depending on physics but technology. There are also techno-logical cases in which cold water will boil before hot -- in the same kitchen's coffeepot.


Took another stab at top-line wording. The effect is an observation (valid or not) of comparisons, not some set of incidences, examples, or occasions.


==Diagram==
:Simply it is goofball physics. An exact time can be calculated for the cooling rate of water, and it is related to its heat capacity. Also, a cooling rate can be calculated for any material, based on that material's heat capacity. So the falacy comes from the lack of validity of comparison of samples, IE.!, all the sheise gehabt different heat capacities, so different cooling rates...and yuck I hate refrozen ice cream, makes me wanna barf.
I've added a relevant diagram (already available on Wikimedia Commons), and also expanded the Historical section a little, discussing the work of James Black. I know that this has been a contentious topic in the past, but I thought that it was worth gently revisiting; I've tried to be cautious, but might reasonably be accused of over-interpreting Farenheit's contributions in the light of subsequent knowledge; I'm also rather relying on Black's description of Farenheit's work, as my Latin isn't up to scratch. Cluebot archiving removed so that we can have a chat! ] (]) 12:04, 17 August 2015 (UTC)
::::--] 07:36, 21 Feb 2005 (UTC)
::::''P.S. Have a nice day!''


This diagram needs to be removed as its clearly a faulty experiment. At equal temperatures before freezing the rate of temperature decline should be the same -they are not and so it is clear that the hot sample is actually being cooled more quickly. <!-- Template:Unsigned IP --><small class="autosigned">—&nbsp;Preceding ] comment added by ] (]) 15:29, 23 June 2019 (UTC)</small> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->
::Goofball it would seem. But, calculations with thermodynamic data do not equate to experimental results w/ impure samples and such. If this ''has been disproven countless times'', then surely you can provide specific references to experimental results rather than just waving the weasel phrases. Experimental results with "pure water" or tap water or ??? Don't need the orange disclaimer - just references to back up the statement. -] 11:58, 21 Feb 2005 (UTC)


I have remove the diagram because it fails to meet Misplaced Pages’s standards for reliability, specifically because it is only a self-published source. The fact that it comes from a commercially self-promoting website makes it further suspect.
:::And goofball it is. The point is--Mpemba did it with ''ice cream'' not ''water'', thus that makes a falacious argument out of ''hot water freezes faster'' as Mpemba incorrectly assumed from his ''ice cream'' observations, '''without''' observing water in the same experiment--known as experimental error. Importantly, Mpemba did not use water in his experiment...instead it was ''ice cream'' a completely different thermodynamic nightmare.


Also (as noted elsewhere on this page) the removed diagram is suspect because it purports to show water freezing at 2-3 degrees, not zero.
:::That is called dis-proof by logic...need any more help? ] 00:39, 27 Jun 2005 (UTC)
:::''P.S. June is a good month for ice-cream''


Worse, the diagram shows the colder water freezing first! Freezing is where the flat part happens. Whether one sample or the other fell below some lower point (reported as “zero”) has no bearing on freezing, or, therefor, on the Mpemba effect. <!-- Template:Unsigned --><span class="autosigned" style="font-size:85%;">—&nbsp;Preceding ] comment added by ] (] • ]) 02:47, 4 November 2021 (UTC)</span> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->
::::Did it occur to you to read any of our numerous and well-documented sources before jumping to conclusions? Yes, some of the anecdotal experiments involved ice cream. These prove nothing; they were just the first clue. It's the documented experiments in scientific labs involving pure water that show that the effect exists. I kindly ask you to refrain from reposting this material, as it violates our ] policy and directly contradicts the generally accepted body of scientific knowledge. ] 28 June 2005 04:14 (UTC)


:Note this section is not about the current image, but rather about ], which is no longer in the article.
:::::I had an argument with a friend about this, and I went ahead and tested this theory. Anyone armed with hot and cold water, measuring cups, some gladware and a freezer can test this (which is also surprising why it seems no one here has actually tested the effect). Anyway, I tried this with tap water versus boiling water and warm (about 85°F) versus boiling water. Saran wrap was used to prevent water loss via evaporation and the containers were placed on wood in the freezer to make sure conductivity was not an issue. A ball bearing at the bottom of the container was used to gauge when the entire volume of water (or just about 95% of it) had frozen. Every time the cooler water froze before the hot water. Try it for yourself. Also see the "Straight Dope" external link I added which confirms my observations and discusses an experiment where hot water did freeze earlier than cooler water, but the specific case involved very hot water versus very, very hot water at precise temperatures. And by the way what exactly was Mpemba (if he even exists) doing with the ice cream. Ice cream must be constantly churned while it is freezing, otherwise all you get is a block of milky ice, not ice cream. You would also think ice cream manufacturers would be heating up their starting mix to cut down on production time. Last I heard they start with their initial mix at room temperature. This seems to be one hell of a persistent myth. There is also another myth which is the inverse of the Mpemba effect: that cold water boils quicker than hot water. Tried that one too and the hot water beats the cold water with oodles of time to spare. I know that some people may point quotations from here and there (there seem to be a lot around). I suggest you try it for yourself. It won't take long and then you can have ample time to ponder who ''are'' these people coming up with weird results -A.H. 7/25/05
:As for the image ''currently'' in this article, the flat part indicates where the phase transition is occurring, and freezing isn't complete until the flat part ends. The cold water ''starts'' its phase transition first, but the hot water ''completes'' its phase transition sooner while the cold water isn't yet fully frozen. ~] <small>(])</small> 05:35, 4 November 2021 (UTC)


Quite right. I stand corrected.] (]) 18:49, 6 November 2021 (UTC)
::::::The article and the Physics FAQ makes it clear that specific conditions are needed. That you failed to choose the parameters that cause it, or failed to control for other parameters, only demonstrates that it doesn't occur under all conditions, which is well-known. That Mpemba observed it under conditions he didn't set up carefully was really sheer chance. The ice cream is irrelevent, because it has been later reproduced using water. The ice cream was only where it was first noticed. ] 05:28, 26 July 2005 (UTC)


Unbelivable:
:::::::It's not that the effect occurs under specific conditions that is the issue. Even the Jearl Walker experiment published in Scientific American, and consistently apearing in the papers talking about the Mpemba effect, points out that his results were for two very specific temperatures. And, the effect disappeared the moment Mr. Walker covered the two containers, i.e. the effect was due to evaporation. More relevant to the matter is that most people espouse the Mpemba effect as something applicable to ''most'' situations, in fact to almost any situation. I know people who put hot water in their ice cube trays because they think it'll freeze faster. Even the wikipedia article on zambonis, until recently, attributed the hot water being used due to the faster freezing time of hot water. According to the Zamboni company the purpose of the hot water is quite the opposite: to melt some of the top layer of ice to smooth out the ice surface. In other words the myth of the Mpemba effect is that people believe it to be the norm for most situations. It's as if people believed that ice, water and water vapor can normally coexist just because there is a specific pressure and temperature (triple point) where they do co-exist. And there are high school physics teachers (and a few college professors) who talk about the Mpemba effect like it is a widespread and commonplace occurence applicable to almost all temperatures of water. -A.H. 7/27/05
The image (https://www.picotech.com/library/results/freezing-hot-cold-water)
must shame anyone who has seen this topic - since 2010! Especially the originator, who sell measurement equipment.
'''Water freezes at 0°C!'''
I swapped the image for one from "Mpemba Effect Demystified" https://doi.org/10.31224/osf.io/3ejnh.] (]) 13:26, 19 January 2022 (UTC)
::{{reply|Freezer18}} Thanks, that's a way better image. However, are you sure of the license? You uploaded that as a public domain dedication, but I see no indication in the source material that it's public domain. If the copyright holder has not released it, then the image will be deleted, we can't use it, and the horrible previous image would be restored. ~] <small>(])</small> 23:15, 19 January 2022 (UTC)
::It's taken form a preprint, link above, it's CC0=public domain] (]) 19:41, 20 January 2022 (UTC)
==No one seems to mention freezer thermostat as a possible cause==
If you put something hot into a freezer it will switch the thermostat to turn the freezer on. This will cause the temperature inside the freezer to drop and so cause the water to turn to ice more quickly. There is hysteresis on these thermostats so they will reduce the temperature in the freezer to a lower temperature than the set temperature. To do a controlled test you would need to put the hot water ice cube trays cold ones in the same freezer at the same time. Why hasn't someone done this with a camera lens inside the freezer to monitor exactly when each one turns to ice? <small><span class="autosigned">—&nbsp;Preceding ] comment added by ] (] • ]) 16:49, 9 May 2016 (UTC)</span></small><!-- Template:Unsigned --> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->
:I would be ] and do it myself but I'm not certain I could avoid doing so in a manner that would amount to ]. But if a youtube video from someone whose credentials consist of "some college" can be cited I'll go for it. ] (]) 13:01, 23 June 2016 (UTC)


: Bullseye @Caparn. It is comfirmed that most of the reproduction are wrong if they don't put sample together into the freezer to deal with the thermostat control variance. I bet many "scientist" dare to admit that such simple blunders. This is the nih.gov experiment : . This whole wiki page must include this "simple" finding.
::::::::This sounds reasonable. I wouldn't attempt to debunk the known research in the article, unless you're citing other researchers who have done so, but perhaps a section on common misconceptions with your ice cube tray example would be illuminative. Please feel free to add. ] 02:12, 28 July 2005 (UTC)


::I am pretty sure that many people have demonstrated the effect using outdoor as the "freezer". Don't forget, North Dakota is basically Siberia with family restaurants. --] (]) 17:31, 9 February 2019 (UTC)
I won't dispute the hypothesis that under some but not most otherwise identical conditions, warmer water can freeze faster than cooler water. However, I must hasten to point out that if you raise the freezing point of the warmer water by boiling it, contditions are not identical. Removing dissolved gasses from the warmer water is equivalent to stirring some salt into the cooler water. If the effect is genuine, the contitions must be truly identical at the start of the experiment.


== interesting temperature ==
:Wrong. It is goofball. It is also ''goofball'' and wrong to think that one can ''raise the freezing point of the warmer water by boiling it''...NOOO! I think you really need to understand energy and heat and thermodynamics in general, ''before'' you even try to quench my knowledge with some lame ''no original research'' quip which is entirely out of line. Read any book on Thermodynamics, Superfluidity, Quantum Mechanincs...then pull out a book on Fluid dynamics and Materials Science to even begun to get a clue that Mpemba effect is wrong. or fallacious, or inaccurate. ''See my comment about alloys below.''
:::] 09:23, 5 November 2005 (UTC)


"containers at 35 and 5 °C (95 and 41 °F) to maximize the effect"
:'' '''"Superficially it looks completely frozen."''' ''
::''from:''
:::''David Auerbach, Supercooling and the Mpemba effect: when hot water freezes quicker than cold, American Journal of Physics, 63(10), 1995.''


This 5 °C is roughly (as if rounded) where liquid water is at maximum density. Freezing from the higher temperature would require less expansion. The density change should also have an effect on entropy. <small class="autosigned">—&nbsp;Preceding ] comment added by ] (]) 08:26, 22 May 2016 (UTC)</small><!-- Template:Unsigned IP --> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->
:Words like '''superficial''' and '''looks''' do not indicate hard core physics, and this comes from the source supposedly proving Mpemba? Wrong, try again.
:::] 09:54, 5 November 2005 (UTC)


== What is 'quantity'? ==
::This article discusses a well-known phenomenon with a variety of supporting sources published in well-known journals. The content you added is ] in that it attempts to debunk the theory without directly citing any authoritative source on the matter. It is your right to attempt to debunk the theory, but don't do it here - do it in the journals and other legitimate research channels. Misplaced Pages ''documents'' research, it does not ''publish'' it. ] 23:58, 5 November 2005 (UTC)
::In short, I really don't mind having a section on why the effect might not actually exist, but before such a section could reasonably be added it would be necessary to locate at least one legitimate, authoritative source which explicitly states that the Mpemba Effect may not exist. ] 00:01, 6 November 2005 (UTC)


The article several times refers to the 'quantity' of water without specifying how this is defined. The Mpemba/Osborne experiments appear to have used volume as the measure of quantity. The other obvious measure would be mass (usually measured by weighing in standard conditions). Since the density (mass per unit volume) of water varies with temperature, the two measures are not equivalent, as a unit volume of water at a higher temperature will generally have less mass than the same volume at a lower temperature. Quantitatively the difference is probably too small to explain the alleged phenomena, but it seems desirable to avoid the ambiguity.] (]) 13:56, 7 December 2016 (UTC)
== Hmmm... ==


== Name ==
(] 21:28, 18 Sep 2004 (UTC)) Some of this seems very odd. I can't understand how the supercooling question can still be open: you just stick in a thermometer into both to find out. Ditto several other possibilities. Only a fairly determined effort not to do the right experiments could stop even a half-well-equipped lab finding out.


Batholomeo or Bartholomeo ? <!-- Template:Unsigned IP --><small class="autosigned">—&nbsp;Preceding ] comment added by ] (]) 16:49, 18 December 2016 (UTC)</small> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->
:This particular information was taken from the Usenet Physics FAQ. You may wish to redirect your question to a forum like sci.physics, for which the FAQ was written. ] 04:28, 19 Sep 2004 (UTC)


:Probably with an ''r''. For more information and external sources such as see --] (]) 13:29, 16 February 2017 (UTC)
:: (] 08:55, 19 Sep 2004 (UTC)) I've read the physics FAQ, which as you say is the source of the info. I still say its odd: the physics FAQ doesn't address my point above. Subsequently I've read the Auerbach abstract which makes things a bit clearer.


== Why == ==Talk archives==
There are achieves of previous talk at ] and ] but I cannot see a link on these pages --] (]) 13:29, 16 February 2017 (UTC)
:Added this in manually at the top of the talk page, as the usual template wasn't working with the non-standard archive naming (in the past) {{resolved}} ] (]) 16:39, 2 April 2018 (UTC)


== A personal observation. ==
Why was the paragraph on Mpemba not being the first to discover the fact that hot water can freeze faster than cold deleted?
It did contain new information; it corrected and explain futher the fact that Mpemba didn't '''discover''' the phenomenon just introduced it to the modern sci. community ('''rediscovered'''). The first paragraph states the Mpemba discovered it and gives no credit to the fact that it was know '''before''' Mpemba.
Please Consider undoing this edit.


When I was a schoolteacher, one of the experiments we did with "special needs" children was to freeze water in a watch glass to make a lens. Demonstrating that it doesn't have to be glass - even ice can make a lens. The teachers'guide suggested that we teachers use near-boiling water for this, because such water contains very few dissolved gases and results in a much "clearer" lens, because in a good quality freezer the water would freeze too quickly for air to dissolve in it.
==I remember reading this was disproved==
But I googled for data and apparently there are indeed several mechanisms that can cause not only the apparent freezing of hot water faster but also under certain conditions the actual freezing of an equal amount of formerly hotter water faster. Weird but true. ] 14:25, 15 May 2005 (UTC)


We were surprised to discover that near-boiling water froze about as quickly as room temperature water. I have no idea whether this is related.
:Yes, the topic is called materials science. For example, there are thousands of alloys of iron(steel) that have different physical properties compared to one another--mostly which seem bizarre.


== Graph in Article ==
:Simply, ''ice cream'' could be considered an alloy of water... ] 00:50, 27 Jun 2005 (UTC)


Isn't there a mistake in the graph? When a substance is changing phase, the temperature of the substances remains constant. In the graph, both the initially hot and initially cold water both show a constant temp, but it's not 0 C!!! Shouldn't that graph be removed? <!-- Template:Unsigned IP --><small class="autosigned">—&nbsp;Preceding ] comment added by ] (]) 03:36, 27 December 2017 (UTC)</small> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->
:It doesn't rather suggest that their temperature probe hadn't been properly zero'ed, but I think that the graph is still useful because it shows a plateau close to zero. I'd leave it in place until someone can find a better figure. ] (]) 16:42, 2 April 2018 (UTC)
::Without a caption stating where the graph is sourced from, who performed the experiment, and/or under what conditions the experiment was performed, this graph is worse than useless, it is potentially misleading. It ought to be removed if it cannot be fully and properly sourced. Even then, in the future, this graph might be held up as an example of how wrong thinking used to be about the alleged Mpemba effect, which likely does not exist. ] (]) 20:45, 8 February 2019 (UTC)


I agree with ]: unsourced, the graph is worse than useless. It should be removed from this article. ] (]) 00:04, 13 June 2021 (UTC)
== Contradiction ==


:I disagree. The graph is a useful illustration of the concept. It doesn't need to be exactly correct to serve as an illustration. The graph is likely a measurement from a personal experiment. See ]: this is ''policy''. Original images created by Wikipedians (as this one is) are not considered original research.
Um, nope, still not good enough. The article already contradicts itself. The whacky "original research" claim should also apply to the article as it stands since '''none''' of the ''"numerous sources"'' explicity claim to have Mpemba effect as true or existing. To further confound your single-mindedness, I was using the sources on the page as the source for the additions I made.
:There ''are'' similar graphs published in refereed journals (, for example). But we couldn't use any published graph due to copyright restrictions, unless the copyright holder released the graphic under an acceptable free license. A similar graph generated by a Wikipedian serves the illustrative purpose just as well. ~] <small>(])</small> 05:57, 4 November 2021 (UTC)


== Thermal eddy momentum and diffusivity via ]? ==
What are you arguing? The sources referred on the page do not support Mpemba explicitly. So you should expect I will be heavily revamping, if it is not reverted back...thank you. And, ], you are '''absolutely wrong''', articles and ideas on wikipedia are constantly debunked on wikipedia, otherwise nothing could be edited.
:::] 22:46, 6 November 2005 (UTC)


This is just an armchair observation, but wouldn't greater temperature differential and thermal gradients that are further from equilibrium be responsible for creating thermal eddies, flows and momentum in either or both fluid turbulence and thermic turbulence? With a greater momentum, we see a flywheel effect of thermal distribution even as temperatures nearer equilibrium. See ]. - ] (]) 20:27, 1 January 2018 (UTC)
(''the following only reinforces the contradiction already existing in the page'')


== Photos ==
==Pathological And Anecdotal==


There are two photos, purporting to lend evidence to this effect. The caption on one states "Mpemba effect experiment: the hot water contained in a thermos, if thrown into the air in a very cold environment, freezes instantly before touching the ground."
Mpemba's story is kept alive for the wrong reasons. While the less scientific persons are easiliy tricked into believing the story, they are also further tricked by statements like—''"...given as a cautionary parable to those who reject theories or experiments solely because they seem counterintuitive, or contradict accepted theories,...etc.,etc,.etc."'', and ''"The Mpemba effect is the somewhat surprising phenomenon whereby hot water can, under certain conditions, freeze faster than cold water."'' However, the reasons that experiments like Mpemba get rejected are due to the following extremely proven realities:
*'''Lack of scientific method'''
::The absolute basis for all science is the ability to statistically prove beyound a shadow of a doubt that experiment A is what the author claims. The statistics are based on defined and controlled measurements.
*'''The instance is merely anecdotal.'''
::If only other anecdotes are used to prove the instance, it is not science. And/or the instance itself is anecdotal—meaning that there are as many versions of the story as there are reasons why the anecdote is false. ''This usually leads us into circular arguments.''
*'''Logic.'''
::Typically, bad logic and bad writing methods are used in an attempt to carry on unprovable anecdotes. No matter what any person ever says, no one ''can'' prove the Mpemba Effect, because no notes where ever taken. It is too simple, but try proving that you had a winning lottery ticket, if you already burned it completely in your fireplace.
*'''Miss-quoted sources/facts.
::Also, valid sources on scientific experiments are incorrectly quoted on a daily basis. Slinging around sources does not prove anything. For example, Newtonian cooling applies to solids, ''that are not losing mass!''


This is not a very helpful caption for two reasons: 1) water cannot freeze "instantly," and 2) where's the evidence that it freezes before it hits the ground? Photos or videos of throwing hot water into very cold air show a lot of condensation, and a lot of droplets so it can look very spectacular, especially when backlit. But they never show that the droplets are frozen.
:Agreed, the whole style of this article is 'babbly', I feel the person who wrote it wanted to exercise their knowledge of big words and how difficult the Mpemba Effect is to prove, rather than actually explain what the Mpemba effect is and how it is believed to work. Question: Heating water reduces the oxygen/air content I believe, so could the Mpemba effect be explained by the fact that oxygen/air is less dense, therefore heat (or cold in this case) transfers faster through the de-oxegenated water than if it had not been heated? ] 14:00, 21 March 2007 (UTC)


Is there evidence that the water freezes before it hits the ground?
== Sources - A very, very, very short list ==


] (]) 18:43, 24 October 2018 (UTC)
, by Harry J. Gensler


The two photos do not demonstrate the Mpemba Effect. As stated by the article, the Mpemba Effect relates to hot water freezing faster than cold water in certain circumstances, none of which is identified as having been thrown up in the air. Also, while the Mpemba Effect is not well understood, the trick of throwing hot water into very cold air so that it quickly vaporizes and then condenses into small droplets and freezes into a cloud of crystals is well understood. There is a good explanation of it at https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/01/frozen-bubbles-boiling-water-freezing-explained-bomb-cyclone-bombogenesis-winter-weather-viral-videos-spd/https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/01/frozen-bubbles-boiling-water-freezing-explained-bomb-cyclone-bombogenesis-winter-weather-viral-videos-spd/. Other sources across the internet also cite the Mpemba Effect for this demonstration, but this is a case of two similar-seeming effects being attributed to the same cause without reason. <!-- Template:Unsigned --><small class="autosigned">—&nbsp;Preceding ] comment added by ] (] • ]) 20:18, 1 February 2019 (UTC)</small> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->
, by Irving M. Copi


== Semi-protected edit request on 26 January 2019 ==
, by Jamie Whyte


{{edit semi-protected|Mpemba effect|answered=yes}}
, by Hugh G. Gauch Jr
Suggested explanations
The following explanations have been proposed:


, by Stephen P. Kramer


when electrons are moving faster the it is easier to form a optimal atomic orbit shape
, by Stephen S. Carey
having longer time to release and gather eletro energy makes the shell thinner
sharing is easier ] (]) 21:53, 26 January 2019 (UTC)
:] '''Not done:''' it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a ] if appropriate.<!-- Template:ESp --> &#8209;&#8209;''']'''&nbsp;<small>(])</small> 23:05, 26 January 2019 (UTC)


== Semi-protected edit request on 1 February 2019 ==
, by Barry Gower


{{edit semi-protected|Mpemba effect|answered=yes}}
, by Morris R. Cohen, Ernest Nagel
Please remove the two pictures of people throwing boiling water into the cold air as they do not seem to relate to the Mpemba Effect.


The Mpemba Effect relates to hot water freezing faster than cold water in certain circumstances, none of which is identified as having been thrown up in the air. Also, while the Mpemba Effect is not well understood, the trick of throwing hot water into very cold air so that it quickly vaporizes and then condenses into small droplets and freezes into a cloud of crystals is well understood. There is a good explanation of it at https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/01/frozen-bubbles-boiling-water-freezing-explained-bomb-cyclone-bombogenesis-winter-weather-viral-videos-spd/ https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/01/frozen-bubbles-boiling-water-freezing-explained-bomb-cyclone-bombogenesis-winter-weather-viral-videos-spd/. Other sources across the internet also cite the Mpemba Effect for this demonstration, but this is a case of two similar-seeming effects being attributed to the same cause without reason.
, by William Whewell, Robert E. Butts
thanks! ] (]) 20:36, 1 February 2019 (UTC)
:] '''Done'''<!-- Template:ESp --> – ] (]) 05:34, 2 February 2019 (UTC)


== Unique to water? ==
, by E. Fermi


Is there any information documenting whether this supposed affect has been tested with other liquids? Watching the BBC Facebook video brought me here; they claimed that this is one of the unique properties of water alone. ] (]) 14:10, 9 February 2019 (UTC)
, by Terrell L. Hill


:We know that it works for ice cream. Mpemba was a Tanzanian student who noticed that hot ice cream mix freezes faster than cold ice cream. But of course ice cream contains water. I did a google search to see if anyone had tried it with wax, oil, iron, aluminum, etc. but didn't find anything. If it turns out that the the Mpemba effect works with iron, that would be the death of the hydrogen-oxygen bond theory. --] (]) 17:41, 9 February 2019 (UTC)
, by J. M. Smith
::It has been reported to work for ice cream. Are there any reliable sources stating that it has been measured for ice cream? &middot; &middot; &middot; ] ]: 07:21, 28 January 2021 (UTC)


== O:H-O Bond Anomalous Relaxation Resolving Mpemba Paradox (2013) ==
, by Richard E. Sonntag


To consider integrating:
, by J. Bevan Ott, Juliana Boerio-Goates


, by Stanley I. Sandler


, by Martin Gardner


] (]) 17:10, 8 May 2019 (UTC)
, by R. A. Dunlap


== Photos 2 ==
:I said an authoritative source which ''explicitly'' claims that the effect does not exist. Of course the initial discovery involving ice cream was not performed using the scientific method, and it proved nothing. It was only confirmed through later rigorous experiments under controlled conditions, and it was later reproduced in lab conditions by many people around the world. Unless you are really claiming that ''all'' of these experiments were performed incorrectly, then you have no argument.
:If you're claiming the effect contradicts themodynamics, then you're simply wrong, because experiments have shown that it occurs, and this article and the Physics FAQ explain in considerable detail why there need not be a contradiction. In fact, the effect is only ''interesting'' mainly because it ''seems'' to contradict thermodynamics, but in fact does not.
:You continue to offer only objections which have already been addressed - at least come up with a new argument that might actually be worth investigating. ] 02:08, 7 November 2005 (UTC)


In the Commons there are some uncategorized images related to this effect? These images are:
::No, you are still wrong. I think it is basically because you do not understand thermodynamics. And I am arguing that you are still wrong, and you are not able to support Mpemba. Additionally, I am using the sources already here to argue against Mpemba, which means you don't have the argument and ''you'' have to bring in other sources that '''*explicitly*''' define Mpemba effect.
*]
*]
*]
--] (]) 06:44, 6 October 2019 (UTC)


in addition: ] and ]--] (]) 07:32, 11 October 2019 (UTC)
::But let's take two steps back. From the perspective of thermodynamics, the only interesting thing, remotely close to this topic, is the physical properties of water and the thermodynamics of water. The study of the thermodynamics of water has been constant from now until how ever far you want to go back. Some of it, maybe most of it, predates 1963. Now, because of that date, it invalidates Mpemba's claims. Other scientists across the planet had already made loads of discoveries about water before Mpemba, OK! And some of them, for example, were Nazis.
:Pretty pictures but no evidence that they are relevant. &middot; &middot; &middot; ] ]: 07:16, 28 January 2021 (UTC)


== Is Mpemba a 'scientist'? ==
::So by date, Mpemba's claim is late, in addition to all of the other malpractices that envelope Mpemba's original "discovery" that invalidates it. To be absolutely clear, I am rejecting Mpemba, but I am not rejecting the thermodynamics of water. Mpemba's effect was the wrong way to go about it, and it is constantly explained in very ambiguous terms, thus invalidating itself further. And I don't need references for common sense. Because if something can be debunked with common sense, ...well let's say nobody has a patent on common sense.


I've edited the page to change Mpemba's appellation from 'scientist' to 'schoolboy'. I hope that's not too controversial! Yes, he was a 'scientist' in the amateur sense, publishing an observation on science; but he was never a professional scientist, did not gain a degree in science, and spent his adult life as a game warden. And it's probably of more relevance and interest to the reader that he was a schoolboy when he made his observation.
::You are going to have to get past the idea that Mpemba's is a cool thing to promote. Its not, it is confusing to inexperienced persons wanting to learn science. However, I think its perfectly fine to talk about it in a negative way. It deserves mention, but only in a negative way. In reality, Mpemba's effect is miniscule in comparison to all of the thermodynamic anomalies of water. By anomalous, I mean in comparison to other properties of other liquids, solids, or gases.
::::] 03:35, 7 November 2005 (UTC)


] (]) 22:50, 18 July 2020 (UTC)


== Theoretical evidence should be given low priority ==
::''"It is impossible for the same thing at the same time to belong and not belong to the same thing at the same time and in the same respect."''
:::—Aristotle


The article makes a claim about an experimental observation: hot water freezes faster than cold water (in certain circumstances). However in the literature there is a lot of discussion about the validity of this experimental observation and its poor reproducibility. Most careful experimental work conclude that the effect is due to confounding factors such as (quoting) " (a) evaporation, (b) dissolved gases, (c) mixing by convective currents, and (d) supercooling" <ref>https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/2010/2010.07287.pdf</ref> Another experimental paper concludes that the effect can entirely be explained by nucleation and supercooling (d) <ref>http://afanporsaber.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/When-does-hot-water-freeze-faster-then-cold-water-A-search-for-the-Mpemba-effect.pdf</ref>. These factors are already mentioned in the article, however against this high quality experimental evidence theoretical evidence for the Mpemba effect is brought. However these theoretical papers atre highly idealized and can not prove in any way that this effect occurs in water (or any liquid at all). Ofcourse they open interesting avenues for realizing the Mpemba-like effects, and speculate about ''potential'' mechanisms driving it, but they do not lend credibility to the Mpemba effect actually occuring. I propose moving all theoretical references to their own section. I want to stress that I make no statements about the quality of the theoretical work, just stating that theoretical evidence in general is much weaker than experimental evidence.] (]) 07:59, 16 October 2020 (UTC)
:::::You know, I never really cared that much about this topic in the first place. I'm not even claiming Mpemba's effect or the story of its discovery is accurate and truthful - only that it's well-documented and verifiable, which is Misplaced Pages's standard for inclusion. I'm not some kind of pro-Mpemba freak. I was attacking only the notion that a single person who feels that a well-documented subject should not be "promoted" could engage in a campaign of misinformation and personal insults to get it censored.
:::::But you know what, it worked. If you feel so strongly about it, you can trash the article. Maybe someone more persistent will follow me. Have a nice day. ] 03:44, 17 November 2005 (UTC)


:I went ahead and split experiments and theory in their own separate sections. Content and wording is left wholly intact. ] (]) 08:30, 19 October 2020 (UTC)
::::I don't know wether the Mpemba effect exists or not - I highly doubt it, but that's not the point. The point is, sir, that you've just ]. Your arguments can be summarized as "I know what I'm talking about, and you don't agree, so you must be a stupid idiot who doesn't know what he's talking about!". Cripes, I don't care if the effect exists or not (and I'm a physics student, for crying out loud); it's a nice story with a good moral: ''"Mpemba's story is often given as a cautionary parable to those who reject theories or experiments solely because they seem counterintuitive, or contradict accepted theories, or because their proponent is not an expert."'' I suggest you try to take that advice to heart before starting selfrighteous flamewars. ] 12:15, 3 December 2005 (UTC)


{{reftalk}}
:::::Who ]?? Nobody ] here yet. Are you refering to a reference of fact I made? I made no '''''comparison's''''' as held under ]. ] 05:20, 8 December 2005 (UTC)
:::::: "And some of them, for example, were Nazis."
::::::: Um, nope, first learn to read, that's not a comparison to anyone here, nor is it designed to stop discussion--1st point of ]--its a statement of fact that during the period of the ], german scientists perfomed '''''extensive''''' experiments on water. Thank you and grow up. ] 23:36, 10 December 2005 (UTC)
:::::::P.S. Got anymore ]s ...


== An outside opinion == == Urban Myth? ==


Having looked at some of the references here, I can see little evidence that this effect is reproducible and has any scientific validity rather than being an urban myth.
Hard Raspy Sci, your edits are going against the consensus on the talk page, and your uncivil arguments are not helping anything. "Learn to read" is not a useful contribution to the discussion, it is a personal attack, like many of the other things you have said here.


Are there any clear descriptions of how the effect can be reliably created in water? ] (]) 10:35, 7 November 2020 (UTC)
Your point of view, in summary, seems to be that
* It appears to be sensitive to initial conditions favouring significant supercooling. &middot; &middot; &middot; ] ]: 07:07, 28 January 2021 (UTC)
# Mpemba did not demonstrate the Mpemba effect scientifically
* In a word, ‘no’. There are no clear descriptions because it cannot be reliably created. And while it may be sensitive to initial conditions, it may also be sensitive to so-called hidden variables, or even to supernatural intervention. My (admittedly limited) reading of the literature strongly suggests the effect is nonexistent, attributable to measurement errors. Indeed, there seems to be much more research into explaining the so-called effect than in actually demonstrating it. ] (]) 23:54, 12 June 2021 (UTC)
# the Mpemba effect depends on particular conditions not being controlled by the experiment, as otherwise it would violate thermodynamics
* Frankly, it seems so absurd on its face that I'm surprised the article treats it with as much deference as it does. If this were true, it would lead to some absurd results. Consider putting equal volumes of 100 degree C water into two beakers, putting the first in one freezer and the second on the kitchen counter, and then waiting for 1 hour. At this point, the water that is in the first beaker will be considerably colder than that in the second. Then put the second beaker in a second freezer -- if this theory were true, then the second beaker would freeze faster. And if, at the same time, you put a third beaker, this one with 100 degree water, into a third freezer, it would freeze faster than the second beaker, and therefore faster than the first -- but this is an absurdity: how could the third beaker, which was placed in its freezer at the same temperature that the first beaker was when it was placed in its freezer an hour before, freeze before the first beaker? -] (]) 03:31, 14 July 2021 (UTC)
# the Mpemba effect should not be taught
::Fluid dynamics and thermodynamics are not uncommonly counterintuitive. It's a bit burried in the current version of the article, but in my view, the best theoretical explanation is from 2021.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Zimmerman |first1=William B. |title=Towards a microbubble condenser: Dispersed microbubble mediation of additional heat transfer in aqueous solutions due to phase change dynamics in airlift vessels |journal=Chemical Engineering Science |date=July 2021 |volume=238 |pages=116618 |doi=10.1016/j.ces.2021.116618}}</ref> To quote from the abstract of that paper, {{tq|This theory is shown to be consistent with analysis of observations of freezing times measured by Mpemba and Osborne}}. My point here is that simple thought experiments aren't sufficient to refute experimental findings observing such an effect, as more sophisticated theory is consistent with the Mpemba effect. I do agree, though, that it would be nice to have more experimental evidence? A challenge to any applied physicists out there? ] (]) 20:01, 15 July 2021 (UTC)
{{reflist talk}}


== Phlogiston ==
The first point is valid and I think agreed upon by contributors to the talk page. However, the effect does exist (as a name for a certain kind of observation that can be made under certain conditions), and it ''is'' nevertheless called the Mpemba effect. Your arguments are not going to change the name of the effect, and Misplaced Pages is not in a position to do so anyway. Perhaps a sentence could be worked in pointing out explicitly (instead of by omission) that Mpemba did not do the experiment with water, especially if a reference can be found for who ''did'' do the experiment with water.


Having read the references, I’m in the camp that the Mpemba effect is bogus, pseudo science. Or call it “Urban Myth”. Or maybe it’s real. Regardless, I added this possible theory mostly as a joke. I understand that this is inconsistent with the guidelines for Misplaced Pages, and accordingly invite its removal.
The second point is stated very adequately by the article, I believe, so I don't see the point of arguing it.


That said, I also wrote it hoping that readers might follow the ] link, learn about it, and consider the evolution from today’s credible theories to yesterday’s debunked ones.
The third point is irrevocably POV. It cannot be resolved by citing references, because it is pure opinion. It should not be allowed to affect the content of a Misplaced Pages article.


At least combustion is real. ;-)
I ask that you agree to removing the "hoax" template from this talk page, as clearly none of the contributors here are pulling a hoax. Also, to make this article able to progress, I'd like you to specify what kind of changes you want made to the article before considering it not to be "disputed". And please ] as you continue these discussions. ''']'''] 02:09, 11 December 2005 (UTC)


] (]) 23:23, 12 June 2021 (UTC)
===Civil answer and apology===
:'''Not at all amusing'''; fortunately, someone quickly reversed your unconstructive edits. ] (]) 14:38, 22 August 2021 (UTC)
First, I would like to apologize for any misunderstandings in any of my prior posts on this page that may have offended anyone reading this. ] 17:41, 12 December 2005 (UTC)
{{resolved}}


I’m glad my misuse was quickly corrected. I will henceforth refrain. Perhaps my good intentions will reap benefits for some few who read this talk page.
(''From here on, I will refer to Mpemba as anything related such as the experiments, etc.'')


====References==== == Graph in lead ==
There exists one initial reason why I started changing the article--the references (on the page) contradicted the overall meaning of the article.


The lead says that "this so-called “effect” is not reproducible" then has a graph reproducing it, showing hot water reaching zero before cold water. Should the graph be there, or is the sentence incorrect? --] (]) 15:41, 18 August 2021 (UTC)
Secondly, ''none'' of the references have direct proof of Mpemba's results. At best each acknowledges anecdotal existance but do not produce any results to support a viable repeatable experiment.
:The sentence, using the pejorative "so-called" and scare quotes around "effect" is definitely not neutral, and doesn't reflect what the cited source actually says. I have modified the sentence. ~] <small>(])</small> 18:43, 22 August 2021 (UTC)


== Diagram as the lead image ==
Other problems exist, at least one of the references cited are non-refereed, non peer reviewed personal web sites of questionable merit.
Anyone can create a personal web page, self-publish a book, or claim to be an expert. That is why self-published material such as books, patents, newsletters, personal websites, open wikis, personal or group blogs (as distinguished from newsblogs, above), content farms, Internet forum postings, and social media postings are largely not acceptable as sources <!-- Template:Unsigned --><span class="autosigned" style="font-size:85%;">—&nbsp;Preceding ] comment added by ] (] • ]) 04:07, 4 November 2021 (UTC)</span> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->


:{{reply|Slgaiser}} Please familiarize yourself with Misplaced Pages policy. ] in particular. ~] <small>(])</small> 05:28, 4 November 2021 (UTC)
Others are anectdotal in nature and are just Q&A websites similar to ''Dear Abby'' columns from a newspaper.


The following comments are about the image file ], currently at the top of the page (but soon to be removed again). The data shown in that image come from the web site picotech.com, a seller of temperature measuring and data logging devices. (See the link under External Sites.). The image clearly fails WP’s verifiability standards (see ]) for two reasons.
Oddly, the main claim is that according to ''consensus'' there are loads of references so why bother in editing the page. As such, each time I do an edit, it gets reverted by ''User:Deco''.


First, my previously stated objection to the above image file is that it presents data that do not meet Misplaced Pages’s standards for verifiability, specifically because those data have only been self-published by a non-expert (see ]). And while the discussion has revolved around a specific image file, this discussion is fundamentally not about the image itself, but rather is about the inclusion or exclusion of information, in this case Picotech’s self-published temperature measurements. And so ] logically applies not just to the image in question, but also to any other tabulation, plot, or other representation of Picotech’s data.
When faced by ''loads'' of background ''Deco'' conveniently throughs up a smokescreens and thwarts peoples efforts:


I now add a second objection, to be considered separately, that the data under discussion do not meet verifiably standards because they represent original research. The injunction in ] is explicit: “Misplaced Pages articles must not contain original research”. I assert that Picotech’s experiment (and results) are self-evidently original research, precluding them entirely. Again, this refers to the research itself, the data, in whatever form, plotted, tabulated, or otherwise. It’s difficult to conceive of any reasonable definition of “original research” which does not include the results of Picotech’s private experiments, “unpublished” as WP uses the term.
*#''Did it occur to you to read any of our numerous and well-documented sources before jumping to conclusions? Yes, some of the anecdotal experiments involved ice cream. These prove nothing; they were just the first clue. It's the documented experiments in scientific labs involving pure water that show that the effect exists. I kindly ask you to refrain from reposting this material, as it violates our no original research policy and directly contradicts the generally accepted body of scientific knowledge. Deco 28 June 2005 04:14 (UTC)''
*#''This sounds reasonable. I wouldn't attempt to debunk the known research in the article, unless you're citing other researchers who have done so, but perhaps a section on common misconceptions with your ice cube tray example would be illuminative. Please feel free to add. Deco 02:12, 28 July 2005 (UTC)''
*#''You know, I never really cared that much about this topic in the first place. I'm not even claiming Mpemba's effect or the story of its discovery is accurate and truthful - only that it's well-documented and verifiable, which is Misplaced Pages's standard for inclusion. I'm not some kind of pro-Mpemba freak. I was attacking only the notion that a single person who feels that a well-documented subject should not be "promoted" could engage in a campaign of misinformation and personal insults to get it censored. But you know what, it worked. If you feel so strongly about it, you can trash the article. Maybe someone more persistent will follow me. Have a nice day. Deco 03:44, 17 November 2005 (UTC)''


Having familiarized myself with ], I find nothing of relevance, except perhaps “Original images created by a Wikipedian are not considered original research…”, with exceptions. Surely it is not intended that Original Images are some sort of “magic verifiability wrapper” (my term)? Not intended that an Original Image of unverifiable original research somehow becomes verifiable? That an Original Image of unverifiable self-published material becomes verifiable? Or that an Original Image of a screenshot of an unverifiable blog is itself verifiable? I hope I misunderstand.
Is this to retain efforts an last word on edits?? The article does not follow with the references cited, at any time that anybody puts in text--that follows the references--''Deco'' installs the above arguments.


As an afterthought, I speculate that had the data shown come from a verifiable source (peer reviewed, or self-published by an expert), that there would be some discussion of why the samples seem to freeze at three degrees instead of at zero, and why there is an odd step in each sample’s temperature around six degrees, and why neither sample appears to have supercooled. And would better describe the experimental setup, and would say something about repeatability. Those hallmarks will likely be present in most reliable, verifiable sources.
Absurdity and contradiction. <u>''It is getting debunked because the sources have already debunked it.''</u>
] (]) 18:49, 6 November 2021 (UTC)


:{{reply|Slgaiser}} To answer your objections:
====Ambiguity and Non-neutrality====
In its current prose, or any past version, the article is misleading in its basic form. However, others have tried to clear up the ambiguity, but get cited with "no new work" or "no research allowed" or ''whatever'' by ''Deco''. Unfortunately, the article has turned into an unreadable mess and is completely disorganized.


:The image meets standards of verifiability under ] because anyone can replicate the experiment and, if the conditions are correct, obtain a similar graph.
In articles attempt to lightly explain Mpemba, the reader is left with very '''''unreal''''' notions:
#...that scientists are nothing but stuff shirt know-it-alls...and you can't get them to believe anything out of the accepted ''norm''
#...a bad misunderstanding of basic thermodynamics
#...a bad misunderstanding of ''advanced'' thermodynamics
#...a basic mistrust of science -- (hoax)
#...that ''real'' scientists never question anything out of the accepted norm
#...that the article is autoritative source on physical properties of water


:The fact that the image was created by a seller of temperature probes is irrelevant. It would not be in their interest to falsify information. This is clearly the result of an experiment demonstrating their probes. So what? The graphic itself is not an attempt to advertise or sell anything. An objection based on the identity of the creator is invalid on its face.
How is Mpemba, itself, ambiguous:
#no existing data of original experiment--all anecdotal, all references cite this!
#given in terms of high school level science about subject matter that is graduate school level material.
:This deserves longer detail. Mpemba does not define the boundaries of the experiment. It does not define the nature of the samples, nor does it provide a definition of the ''"control"''. As was approriately argued by others in this discussion, but opposed by ''Deco''


:Data published by non-experts, as a result of experiment, is acceptable under ], which clearly states "Original images created by a Wikipedian are not considered original research, so long as they do not illustrate or introduce unpublished ideas or arguments." This diagram does not illustrate or introduce an unpublished idea or argument. It illustrates a previously ''published'' idea/argument. That is acceptable.
====Historic Desenters of Consensus====


:You even acknowledge yourself that the graph wasn't made available by some noob fooling around at home, but by a maker of temperature probes, who clearly must know something about measuring temperature, and therefore must have some expertise. You have no knowledge about the credentials behind the designer of the probes or the person who conducted the experiment. But that doesn't matter, according to ].
Maxwell, Gallileo, Kepler, Einstein, Bohr, Rutherford, Columbus, Darwin, ... ''(could be its own article)''


:The image may simply be the result of a student experiment. So what? A result is a result. The article clearly states that it is not easy to reproduce. If an example can be found, released under an acceptable free license, illustrating the result, then it serves as a good illustration for this article.
====Authoritative Arguments Welcome====
Third year physics students do not constitute as an authority, since thermodynamics is a third or four year subject.


:You can find similar graphs in scholarly journals on Google Scholar. is one example. We cannot use it though, because of copyright. The fact that such images exist doesn't mean we must use them instead. We can't without a release from the copyright holder. Therefore, we use images generated by non-experts instead.
However, it should be noted that unlike courtroom arguments, scientific arguments are never closed. As such I am absolutely opposed to any claim that states a ''consensus'' has been reached before this posting, with in reason I will voice that and only if I believe that position has merit. So understand that not even the most powerful ''Wiki'' admin can close a scientific argument based solely on ''policy'', without undermining the merits of ''Misplaced Pages'' itself.


:That there are anomalies in the graph simply illustrate possible problems with the experimental setup. I have no doubt that this graph is the result of an actual, but flawed, experiment. And the article discusses the possibility that all these Mpemba effect experiments are flawed. That is not a reason to remove the image.
As per ''Rspeer's'' request I will post a my opinion and suggestions at the end of this posting in the ''Summary section''.


:Instead of removing it, the caption should be improved. I have added a caption, and invite you to improve on it. ~] <small>(])</small> 19:07, 6 November 2021 (UTC)
====Uncivility and Censorship by an admin?====
For all of the reasons above, I believed that there was possibly a joke or a hoax forming out of this discussion, especially when considering ''Decos'' actions and comments directed toward anyone attempting to edit the article with respect to the given citations.


== Suggested explanations ==
My own response was fueled by a person ''counter''-editing in a fashion that contradicted the already supplied references, and patronized editors that did so by falsely misrepresneting the ''body of knowledge'' available. And falsely accusing ''personal insults to get it censored'', I am sorry but I do not remember and couldn't find directed insults or non-directed insults.
'''Thermal conductivity'''
# Criticism of §1: ME also arises (sometimes) outdoors, on block or pot of ice.<br>On a dry, clean cooler surface, i.e. ice thickness ~0, and not flat bottom of the cup, bottom conductance is usually poor. (According to <ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last=Tier|first=Ren|date=2022-01-18|title=Mpemba Effect Demystified|url=https://osf.io/3ejnh|doi=10.31224/osf.io/3ejnh}}</ref>)
# Compelling proposal<ref name=":1" />, if you read more then abstract. Until reviewed by others added as "Suggested explanation".


{{reflist-talk}}
My complaint goes to ''Deco'' for obviously <u>not</u> reading sources, not being a authoritative source on the matter, and for ''bullying'' others for attempting to make edits by citing ''<u>it violates our no original research policy and directly contradicts the generally accepted body of scientific knowledge</u> -- (so don't edit anything without my prior written authorisation)''.


== Attention seeking unscience ==
===In Summary===
My thoughts are:
#its OK to teach Mpemba, but in its proper way, and I do not have any motivation to have names changed
#the article should stay no matter what
#the references should stay, except ones that may be a dead link and personal websites (no responsibility, merit)
#the article should be edited open and freely as provided by ''Misplaced Pages's'' foundation and remain so
#the article is in need of refinement, and not changed in a way that is polarized by ''Deco''
#all edits that have been made, but erased by ''Deco'' to support ''Deco's'' claim, have been falsely done in an illegitimate manner
#the existing parable should be either removed or properly explained
#it should also be noted that the article (at this posting) in its current existance is better than it was when this garbage started
#the article may only need cleaing up at this point with out the destabalization of ''Deco's'' counter-edits
#in acuality ''Deco'' violates his own claims by citing or supporting the miss-represented or unverifiable sources
#the ambiguity needs to be cleared up if possible
#some of the data on the atricle is supported by possible bad references


The topic is poorly defined. What do you mean «in some circumstances it can happen»? Until the circumstances are properly described, theres no substance to be dicussed. The lack of rigorous description of the experiment that produces this observation it is meaningless to say «all other factors constant».
===Response by Rspeer===


and this is just the very first step of desribing what would be descussed. Then come the reference to aristotle and others, while theres still nothing clarified.
Thanks for the response. I understand your position a lot better now, and I agree that some changes need to be made to the article.
at best this would be a fun paradox for teaching physics, if it were described to any level. But it isnt. In its current form its pseudoscience that is not even wrong, just waste of time.


to be clear, this isnt the fault of the schoolboy who made the first observation. But neither is his obaervation amount to a “physics effect”, instead it is an effect in the sensationalist journalism reporting sense.
Deco doesn't deserve your vitriol, though. Reverting changes is not "censorship", particularly when it brings the article from a version that has serious problems in style back to a better version.
the first perspn who reported it should have made a better job, but that is also not to find a fault with the reporter. Reporters are not expected to only make scientifically meaningful statements.


this shifts the burden to the next in line, which is wikipedia: this article should either give a scientifically rigorous description of the effect, that is refer to a publication where these details are included, or begin the lede with a clear statement that no such experiment is to be found and therefore refer the topic to the heresay, beer science, word-play category which may say that there is a hitherto unexplayed phenomena but, fails to describe the phenomena in a way that would be the prerequisite of any methodological inquiry into its explanation. ] (]) 10:43, 26 May 2024 (UTC).
Deco's edit comment when he reverted you was spot-on: "articles should not argue with themselves". That degrades the quality of the article. Disputes should be worked out on the talk page so that the text of the article can be changed to a coherent, consensus version. Your version also contained a number of opinionated statements like "Mpemba's story is kept alive for the wrong reasons," which violates the "neutral point of view" policy.


== Aristotle said ==
''']'''] 19:27, 12 December 2005 (UTC)


A has said a great many things on many topics, but ref.3. gives no account as to what relevant statement A has made and how that relates to the alleged observation. This reference is of as much use as another reference to what Puss in Boots has said would have been.] (]) 10:53, 26 May 2024 (UTC).
:Ok, maybe by some stretch, that it was wrong to place the above opinion to counter the parable that is enforced by the article-which fundamentally violates the same ''neutral point of view'' policy. At the time the article conflicted with the sources...?
:In reality, it appears that conflicting policies are the next issue here. But I don't think that's the case. The problem is this article never had non-conflicting, supportive sources, and some plain do not exist.
:The real moral to the story concerning Mpemba is ''how not to perform an experiment and expect to retain your dignity'' -- especially since Mpemba more closely relates to the parable of ''re-inventing the wheel''.
:But understand, it is also odd to have "articles should not argue with themselves" pertaining to edits when the article already contradicts either itself, its sources, or both.
:However, I believe both parables can be given in a clear manner without having an article that "argues with itself" ... because maybe it would retain its neutrality.
:- ] 20:54, 12 December 2005 (UTC)


========================================================
It is interesting to discuss about mpemba effect.
but i have some imagination. Can Mpemba effect happen at metal
when hot liquid metal get in cooling circumtances ?
is there anybody that could explain this condition.
(josh at indonesia)

== i dont get it how is it posible ==

this artical dosnt make sence to me how could hotter water freez quicker than cooler water when the freezing point of water is zero degrees. wouldnt it take longer to cool the water then freez it rather than just strait out freezing it?
someone please explain..... <small>—The preceding ] comment was added by ] (]) 04:50, 24 February 2007 (UTC).</small><!-- HagermanBot Auto-Unsigned -->


== A little help ==

Some documents which may help.
I'm working hard on the subject and just wanted to give a few useful documents. (some contains little mistakes, but all are interesting)
http://www.math.udel.edu/~rossi/Math512/2004/cooling5.pdf
http://www.citebase.org/fulltext?format=application%2Fpdf&identifier=oai%3AarXiv.org%3Aphysics%2F0604224
http://www.citebase.org/fulltext?format=application%2Fpdf&identifier=oai%3AarXiv.org%3A0704.1381
I wanted to point out that mpemba effect do occur! It has been observed in many situations (not involving only water) and by many (at least enough) scientists. Its consequences may not be of a great interest (however the food industry is interested in it) but the effect does exist !


== A possible solution is nearly coming out ==

I’m doing the Mpemba effect as a topic of my thesis. I have done many experiments; I think I can find out the real mechanism of this effect soon.

If you are interested in this topic, please pay your attention on it. <small>—Preceding ] comment added by ] (]) 13:19, 18 September 2007 (UTC)</small><!-- Template:UnsignedIP --> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->

== Entropy and crystallization ==

I always thought the Mpemba effect was simply due to the need of freezing water to decrease entropy and form ice crystals. Cold water has to absorb external heat to do this, whereas hot water already has the heat so it forms crystals (and thus freezes) faster. <small>—Preceding ] comment added by ] (]) 22:20, 17 November 2007 (UTC)</small><!-- Template:UnsignedIP --> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->

==Scalar functionality==
I cannot find a source for the comments under this heading. Is there one? Also the quote does not seem to be from the reference provided. Where is it from? It seems like someone's 'research'. ] (]) 16:09, 24 February 2008 (UTC)
I note that this original edit was made by the anonymous 28.104.178.238 so I cannot chase them up for a source. But I would appreciate a response. ] (]) 17:06, 24 February 2008 (UTC)
:I have discovered that the quote has no source (it is certainly not Monwhea Jeng's) and it seems likely that the paragraph has none either , so I will delete them. ] (]) 22:38, 24 February 2008 (UTC)
::I have reverted your changes. It looks like an instance of water memory POV insertion. ] (]) 14:43, 26 February 2008 (UTC)

I understand that you are now stalking me. The statement is a misquote and it has no support. I know you cannot support it (as there is no support,; I have checked) so it seems totally wrong to reinsert it. It is not a POV, I inserted a real quote from a real source. Please revert your change. ] (]) 14:49, 26 February 2008 (UTC)

:I think you should start an RfC. I see the quote included in the source when I read it. I'm also not stalking you. I had a hand in writing the ] page and this is one of the physical paradoxes linked from that page. ] (]) 14:59, 26 February 2008 (UTC)

The quote is not there. Even the first word is not in the reference. I read it and a more recent paper (and better source) and I requested the author if he had written it elsewhere (he said no). It is simply not there. The other text has no foundation. ] (]) 15:07, 26 February 2008 (UTC)

:I linked to the paper where the quote is found. The removal of the rest is unwarranted and I have undone it. ] (]) 16:35, 26 February 2008 (UTC)

As I have repeated, the quote is incorrect. Originally it was from the wrong source. I put in the smae source as you, that you have deleted and then put up an inferior version of the same source .(I gave your source for the text within the complete source if you had checked). The quote is not there. The first sentence is, but the rest is not. As I said, I checked with the original author of the source. He has never written that quote. The rest of that inclusion is simply not there. The author states that supposedly quoted from source is wrong and gives his own oppositely directed research with no source. It is clearly OR and contrary to the good source that we have both put there (at different times). You are being disruptive and pushing your POV without any source. I am reverting your edit. ] (]) 17:00, 26 February 2008 (UTC)

Instead of carrying on the edit war, I have referred this dispute for a third opinion. ] (]) 17:20, 26 February 2008 (UTC)
I do notice that ScienceApologist has now read the quote. However the rest of the edit in this section is disagreeing with this source (the same source I put up and was deleted) without any evidence or RS. The view needs support as it is OR. ] (]) 19:15, 26 February 2008 (UTC)

===Third opinion===
I am responding to the plea posted on ].

I don't understand why there is even a dispute. The clearly contains the quoted text, right there on page 6, just below the middle of the second column: "Analysis of the situation is now quite complex, since we are no longer considering a single parameter, but a scalar function, and computational fluid dynamics is notoriously difficult."

So, what exactly is the problem here? If the dispute is about the existence of that quote, then the quote does indeed exist. Perhaps the dispute has been resolved already? ~] <small>(])</small> 23:48, 26 February 2008 (UTC)

:Looks like it to me. ] (]) 14:17, 27 February 2008 (UTC)

==Mpemba==
Does anybody know what happened to Erasto B. Mpemba?
] (]) 07:17, 3 March 2008 (UTC)


==Scalar functionality (2)==
The POV and OR in this section is clear at present. It was requested above over two weeks ago (Scalar functionality) that suitable sources be provided for effectively the same text, but this request seems to have been ignored. The quote given now for Jeng is totally out of context as it is not a 'concluding' quote and Jeng did not discuss this area much at all. More suitable would be 'It is clear that evaporative cooling can play an important role in the Mpemba effect, and that the history of the water can affect the amount of supercooling. But beyond that, the experiments together paint a very muddled picture' which is from Jeng's final paragraphs. ] (]) 18:33, 9 March 2008 (UTC)

I have reverted to edit by Shot as no sources have been given since request over two weeks ago and otherwise it is standing as OR and POV. The Jeng article only mentions this area in the one quoted sentence; the rest of his paper is on other things. ] (]) 19:40, 11 March 2008 (UTC) SA has asked for more time. Edits should only be made with the sources to hand, or close by. Some more time is given, but it should be noted that if there are not any sources forthcoming then we have been misleading our readers for a considerable time. ] (]) 21:39, 11 March 2008 (UTC

In the absence of the promised sources, this section is an OR and POV paragraph, which should not be there any longer. ] (]) 08:31, 14 March 2008 (UTC)

::You have not given enough time. Please stop this posturing. ] (]) 14:05, 14 March 2008 (UTC)

You have had three weeks. Are there any sources or not? As I have looked, in detail, in this area, I do not believe there are any. ] (]) 14:17, 14 March 2008 (UTC)

::There are sources. I am very busy with other projects. Stop pretending like you ] the article. ] (]) 14:30, 14 March 2008 (UTC)

How long do you need? If you know of them, then put them in. Remember, that readers may believe the text is sourced, so it should be. ] (]) 14:37, 14 March 2008 (UTC)

::I am currently involved in two massive undertakings. Give me until 15 April at least. ] (]) 14:39, 14 March 2008 (UTC)

That is about a month too long for the article to remain as your OR and POV. There is clearly no article to hand. ] (]) 19:22, 14 March 2008 (UTC)

SA, I appreciate your effort in supplying some references. However, these references primarily are concerned with the supercooling and do not mention any 'heat transfer problem'. Perhaps you could be so kind as to tell me how they are related to your text? ] (]) 16:03, 15 March 2008 (UTC)

:References are appropriate. Start an RfC if you think otherwise. This discussion is over, as far as I can tell. ] (]) 16:08, 15 March 2008 (UTC)

Maybe some other scientists can weigh in here with their views. SA seems to be equating 'cooling' with 'supercooling'. ] (]) 18:07, 15 March 2008 (UTC)

: Is this about the Dorsey references? No library within forty miles of me has the book, but it looks reasonably relevant enough that I have no problem trusting ] to have reason for citing it. Clearly they are too old to refer to Mpemba directly, but supercooling and heat transfer between segments of the water during crystallization is perfectly relevant, as confirmed by Jeng. This whole section could be cited to Jeng, in fact. What is the issue here? - ] ~(])]~ 07:15, 18 March 2008 (UTC)

There is nothing wrong with the Dorsey reference. I actually added the later Dorsey work myself . What is wrong is that it is nothing to do with fluid dynamics. No reference I can find states what is written under 'scalar functionality'.; particularly that Jeng reference does not mention it apart from that one quote given saying that it is difficult, and therefore this is not a reasonable quote to have taken from that paper. The statement that I gave ] (later improved) is more indicative of Jeng's conclusions: 'there is no unique explanation yet for why, in some specific circumstances, hotter water freezes faster than colder water'. These references talk about 'supercooling' not 'partial differential equations' and nowhere does it state that 'this (Mpemba) effect is a heat transfer problem', with the recent papers on the effect giving other reasons. The paragraphs are OR and POV. I will not get into any more fighting over this. If you believe that the papers say what is written leave it as it is. There are some out there who revert anything I do, see ]. ] (]) 23:19, 18 March 2008 (UTC)

==Recent view of the Mpemba effect==
I have added two recent sources giving the current view of the science and evidence surrounding the Mpemba effect . SA keeps being disruptive and he appears to have a vendetta against me as he even reverts my spelling corrections on a far distant page, see ] ] (]) 19:47, 22 March 2008 (UTC)
:I don't know where you learned to research or report findings, but you seem to be under the impression that the source is saying something far different than it is actually saying. ] (]) 18:56, 24 March 2008 (UTC)

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Archives

Wording

The second paragraph says "common knowledge according to Aristotle during his time", but that's not my understanding of what Aristotle said "the water has previously been warmed". Water that has previously been warmed is not the same as water that is warm now.

Took another stab at top-line wording. The effect is an observation (valid or not) of comparisons, not some set of incidences, examples, or occasions.

Diagram

I've added a relevant diagram (already available on Wikimedia Commons), and also expanded the Historical section a little, discussing the work of James Black. I know that this has been a contentious topic in the past, but I thought that it was worth gently revisiting; I've tried to be cautious, but might reasonably be accused of over-interpreting Farenheit's contributions in the light of subsequent knowledge; I'm also rather relying on Black's description of Farenheit's work, as my Latin isn't up to scratch. Cluebot archiving removed so that we can have a chat! Klbrain (talk) 12:04, 17 August 2015 (UTC)

This diagram needs to be removed as its clearly a faulty experiment. At equal temperatures before freezing the rate of temperature decline should be the same -they are not and so it is clear that the hot sample is actually being cooled more quickly. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2A02:C7D:86E:7200:A0E1:F55A:6070:B475 (talk) 15:29, 23 June 2019 (UTC)

I have remove the diagram because it fails to meet Misplaced Pages’s standards for reliability, specifically because it is only a self-published source. The fact that it comes from a commercially self-promoting website makes it further suspect.

Also (as noted elsewhere on this page) the removed diagram is suspect because it purports to show water freezing at 2-3 degrees, not zero.

Worse, the diagram shows the colder water freezing first! Freezing is where the flat part happens. Whether one sample or the other fell below some lower point (reported as “zero”) has no bearing on freezing, or, therefor, on the Mpemba effect. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Slgaiser (talkcontribs) 02:47, 4 November 2021 (UTC)

Note this section is not about the current image, but rather about File:Mpemba-simple.svg, which is no longer in the article.
As for the image currently in this article, the flat part indicates where the phase transition is occurring, and freezing isn't complete until the flat part ends. The cold water starts its phase transition first, but the hot water completes its phase transition sooner while the cold water isn't yet fully frozen. ~Anachronist (talk) 05:35, 4 November 2021 (UTC)

Quite right. I stand corrected.Slgaiser (talk) 18:49, 6 November 2021 (UTC)

Unbelivable: The image (https://www.picotech.com/library/results/freezing-hot-cold-water) must shame anyone who has seen this topic - since 2010! Especially the originator, who sell measurement equipment. Water freezes at 0°C! I swapped the image for one from "Mpemba Effect Demystified" https://doi.org/10.31224/osf.io/3ejnh.Freezer18 (talk) 13:26, 19 January 2022 (UTC)

@Freezer18: Thanks, that's a way better image. However, are you sure of the license? You uploaded that as a public domain dedication, but I see no indication in the source material that it's public domain. If the copyright holder has not released it, then the image will be deleted, we can't use it, and the horrible previous image would be restored. ~Anachronist (talk) 23:15, 19 January 2022 (UTC)
It's taken form a preprint, link above, it's CC0=public domainFreezer18 (talk) 19:41, 20 January 2022 (UTC)

No one seems to mention freezer thermostat as a possible cause

If you put something hot into a freezer it will switch the thermostat to turn the freezer on. This will cause the temperature inside the freezer to drop and so cause the water to turn to ice more quickly. There is hysteresis on these thermostats so they will reduce the temperature in the freezer to a lower temperature than the set temperature. To do a controlled test you would need to put the hot water ice cube trays cold ones in the same freezer at the same time. Why hasn't someone done this with a camera lens inside the freezer to monitor exactly when each one turns to ice? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Caparn (talkcontribs) 16:49, 9 May 2016 (UTC)

I would be WP:BOLD and do it myself but I'm not certain I could avoid doing so in a manner that would amount to original research. But if a youtube video from someone whose credentials consist of "some college" can be cited I'll go for it. Mattman00000 (talk) 13:01, 23 June 2016 (UTC)
Bullseye @Caparn. It is comfirmed that most of the reproduction are wrong if they don't put sample together into the freezer to deal with the thermostat control variance. I bet many "scientist" dare to admit that such simple blunders. This is the nih.gov experiment : Questioning the Mpemba effect: hot water does not cool more quickly than cold . This whole wiki page must include this "simple" finding.
I am pretty sure that many people have demonstrated the effect using outdoor as the "freezer". Don't forget, North Dakota is basically Siberia with family restaurants. --Guy Macon (talk) 17:31, 9 February 2019 (UTC)

interesting temperature

"containers at 35 and 5 °C (95 and 41 °F) to maximize the effect"

This 5 °C is roughly (as if rounded) where liquid water is at maximum density. Freezing from the higher temperature would require less expansion. The density change should also have an effect on entropy. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 97.104.88.146 (talk) 08:26, 22 May 2016 (UTC)

What is 'quantity'?

The article several times refers to the 'quantity' of water without specifying how this is defined. The Mpemba/Osborne experiments appear to have used volume as the measure of quantity. The other obvious measure would be mass (usually measured by weighing in standard conditions). Since the density (mass per unit volume) of water varies with temperature, the two measures are not equivalent, as a unit volume of water at a higher temperature will generally have less mass than the same volume at a lower temperature. Quantitatively the difference is probably too small to explain the alleged phenomena, but it seems desirable to avoid the ambiguity.86.132.140.164 (talk) 13:56, 7 December 2016 (UTC)

Name

Batholomeo or Bartholomeo ? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 188.238.242.155 (talk) 16:49, 18 December 2016 (UTC)

Probably with an r. For more information and external sources such as pp 7 and 11 of an FAO report see an old Misplaced Pages biography of Mpemba--Rumping (talk) 13:29, 16 February 2017 (UTC)

Talk archives

There are achieves of previous talk at Talk:Mpemba effect/Archives/ 1 and Talk:Mpemba effect/Archives/ 2 but I cannot see a link on these pages --Rumping (talk) 13:29, 16 February 2017 (UTC)

Added this in manually at the top of the talk page, as the usual template wasn't working with the non-standard archive naming (in the past) Resolved Klbrain (talk) 16:39, 2 April 2018 (UTC)

A personal observation.

When I was a schoolteacher, one of the experiments we did with "special needs" children was to freeze water in a watch glass to make a lens. Demonstrating that it doesn't have to be glass - even ice can make a lens. The teachers'guide suggested that we teachers use near-boiling water for this, because such water contains very few dissolved gases and results in a much "clearer" lens, because in a good quality freezer the water would freeze too quickly for air to dissolve in it.

We were surprised to discover that near-boiling water froze about as quickly as room temperature water. I have no idea whether this is related.

Graph in Article

Isn't there a mistake in the graph? When a substance is changing phase, the temperature of the substances remains constant. In the graph, both the initially hot and initially cold water both show a constant temp, but it's not 0 C!!! Shouldn't that graph be removed? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.255.29.67 (talk) 03:36, 27 December 2017 (UTC)

It doesn't rather suggest that their temperature probe hadn't been properly zero'ed, but I think that the graph is still useful because it shows a plateau close to zero. I'd leave it in place until someone can find a better figure. Klbrain (talk) 16:42, 2 April 2018 (UTC)
Without a caption stating where the graph is sourced from, who performed the experiment, and/or under what conditions the experiment was performed, this graph is worse than useless, it is potentially misleading. It ought to be removed if it cannot be fully and properly sourced. Even then, in the future, this graph might be held up as an example of how wrong thinking used to be about the alleged Mpemba effect, which likely does not exist. Robert K S (talk) 20:45, 8 February 2019 (UTC)

I agree with Robert K S: unsourced, the graph is worse than useless. It should be removed from this article. Slgaiser (talk) 00:04, 13 June 2021 (UTC)

I disagree. The graph is a useful illustration of the concept. It doesn't need to be exactly correct to serve as an illustration. The graph is likely a measurement from a personal experiment. See WP:OI: this is policy. Original images created by Wikipedians (as this one is) are not considered original research.
There are similar graphs published in refereed journals (figure 7 in this paper, for example). But we couldn't use any published graph due to copyright restrictions, unless the copyright holder released the graphic under an acceptable free license. A similar graph generated by a Wikipedian serves the illustrative purpose just as well. ~Anachronist (talk) 05:57, 4 November 2021 (UTC)

Thermal eddy momentum and diffusivity via Turbulent Prandtl number?

This is just an armchair observation, but wouldn't greater temperature differential and thermal gradients that are further from equilibrium be responsible for creating thermal eddies, flows and momentum in either or both fluid turbulence and thermic turbulence? With a greater momentum, we see a flywheel effect of thermal distribution even as temperatures nearer equilibrium. See Turbulent Prandtl number. - 75.173.66.142 (talk) 20:27, 1 January 2018 (UTC)

Photos

There are two photos, purporting to lend evidence to this effect. The caption on one states "Mpemba effect experiment: the hot water contained in a thermos, if thrown into the air in a very cold environment, freezes instantly before touching the ground."

This is not a very helpful caption for two reasons: 1) water cannot freeze "instantly," and 2) where's the evidence that it freezes before it hits the ground? Photos or videos of throwing hot water into very cold air show a lot of condensation, and a lot of droplets so it can look very spectacular, especially when backlit. But they never show that the droplets are frozen.

Is there evidence that the water freezes before it hits the ground?

Hermanoere (talk) 18:43, 24 October 2018 (UTC)

The two photos do not demonstrate the Mpemba Effect. As stated by the article, the Mpemba Effect relates to hot water freezing faster than cold water in certain circumstances, none of which is identified as having been thrown up in the air. Also, while the Mpemba Effect is not well understood, the trick of throwing hot water into very cold air so that it quickly vaporizes and then condenses into small droplets and freezes into a cloud of crystals is well understood. There is a good explanation of it at https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/01/frozen-bubbles-boiling-water-freezing-explained-bomb-cyclone-bombogenesis-winter-weather-viral-videos-spd/https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/01/frozen-bubbles-boiling-water-freezing-explained-bomb-cyclone-bombogenesis-winter-weather-viral-videos-spd/. Other sources across the internet also cite the Mpemba Effect for this demonstration, but this is a case of two similar-seeming effects being attributed to the same cause without reason. — Preceding unsigned comment added by MeeToney (talkcontribs) 20:18, 1 February 2019 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 26 January 2019

This edit request has been answered. Set the |answered= or |ans= parameter to no to reactivate your request.

Suggested explanations The following explanations have been proposed:


when electrons are moving faster the it is easier to form a optimal atomic orbit shape having longer time to release and gather eletro energy makes the shell thinner sharing is easier The Beautiful Captain Lightning (talk) 21:53, 26 January 2019 (UTC)

 Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. ‑‑ElHef (Meep?) 23:05, 26 January 2019 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 1 February 2019

This edit request has been answered. Set the |answered= or |ans= parameter to no to reactivate your request.

Please remove the two pictures of people throwing boiling water into the cold air as they do not seem to relate to the Mpemba Effect.

The Mpemba Effect relates to hot water freezing faster than cold water in certain circumstances, none of which is identified as having been thrown up in the air. Also, while the Mpemba Effect is not well understood, the trick of throwing hot water into very cold air so that it quickly vaporizes and then condenses into small droplets and freezes into a cloud of crystals is well understood. There is a good explanation of it at https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/01/frozen-bubbles-boiling-water-freezing-explained-bomb-cyclone-bombogenesis-winter-weather-viral-videos-spd/ https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/01/frozen-bubbles-boiling-water-freezing-explained-bomb-cyclone-bombogenesis-winter-weather-viral-videos-spd/. Other sources across the internet also cite the Mpemba Effect for this demonstration, but this is a case of two similar-seeming effects being attributed to the same cause without reason. thanks! MeeToney (talk) 20:36, 1 February 2019 (UTC)

 DoneJonesey95 (talk) 05:34, 2 February 2019 (UTC)

Unique to water?

Is there any information documenting whether this supposed affect has been tested with other liquids? Watching the BBC Facebook video brought me here; they claimed that this is one of the unique properties of water alone. RobP (talk) 14:10, 9 February 2019 (UTC)

We know that it works for ice cream. Mpemba was a Tanzanian student who noticed that hot ice cream mix freezes faster than cold ice cream. But of course ice cream contains water. I did a google search to see if anyone had tried it with wax, oil, iron, aluminum, etc. but didn't find anything. If it turns out that the the Mpemba effect works with iron, that would be the death of the hydrogen-oxygen bond theory. --Guy Macon (talk) 17:41, 9 February 2019 (UTC)
It has been reported to work for ice cream. Are there any reliable sources stating that it has been measured for ice cream? · · · Peter Southwood : 07:21, 28 January 2021 (UTC)

O:H-O Bond Anomalous Relaxation Resolving Mpemba Paradox (2013)

To consider integrating:

Why Hot Water Freezes Faster Than Cold—Physicists Solve the Mpemba Effect

O:H-O Bond Anomalous Relaxation Resolving Mpemba Paradox

Peter Kaminski (talk) 17:10, 8 May 2019 (UTC)

Photos 2

In the Commons there are some uncategorized images related to this effect? These images are:

--Estopedist1 (talk) 06:44, 6 October 2019 (UTC)

in addition: File:Sky-3181008 1280.jpg and File:Sky-31810071280.jpg--Estopedist1 (talk) 07:32, 11 October 2019 (UTC)

Pretty pictures but no evidence that they are relevant. · · · Peter Southwood : 07:16, 28 January 2021 (UTC)

Is Mpemba a 'scientist'?

I've edited the page to change Mpemba's appellation from 'scientist' to 'schoolboy'. I hope that's not too controversial! Yes, he was a 'scientist' in the amateur sense, publishing an observation on science; but he was never a professional scientist, did not gain a degree in science, and spent his adult life as a game warden. And it's probably of more relevance and interest to the reader that he was a schoolboy when he made his observation.

Drjamesaustin (talk) 22:50, 18 July 2020 (UTC)

Theoretical evidence should be given low priority

The article makes a claim about an experimental observation: hot water freezes faster than cold water (in certain circumstances). However in the literature there is a lot of discussion about the validity of this experimental observation and its poor reproducibility. Most careful experimental work conclude that the effect is due to confounding factors such as (quoting) " (a) evaporation, (b) dissolved gases, (c) mixing by convective currents, and (d) supercooling" Another experimental paper concludes that the effect can entirely be explained by nucleation and supercooling (d) . These factors are already mentioned in the article, however against this high quality experimental evidence theoretical evidence for the Mpemba effect is brought. However these theoretical papers atre highly idealized and can not prove in any way that this effect occurs in water (or any liquid at all). Ofcourse they open interesting avenues for realizing the Mpemba-like effects, and speculate about potential mechanisms driving it, but they do not lend credibility to the Mpemba effect actually occuring. I propose moving all theoretical references to their own section. I want to stress that I make no statements about the quality of the theoretical work, just stating that theoretical evidence in general is much weaker than experimental evidence.Nomenenus nescio (talk) 07:59, 16 October 2020 (UTC)

I went ahead and split experiments and theory in their own separate sections. Content and wording is left wholly intact. Nomenenus nescio (talk) 08:30, 19 October 2020 (UTC)

References

  1. https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/2010/2010.07287.pdf
  2. http://afanporsaber.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/When-does-hot-water-freeze-faster-then-cold-water-A-search-for-the-Mpemba-effect.pdf

Urban Myth?

Having looked at some of the references here, I can see little evidence that this effect is reproducible and has any scientific validity rather than being an urban myth.

Are there any clear descriptions of how the effect can be reliably created in water? Belinda479 (talk) 10:35, 7 November 2020 (UTC)

  • It appears to be sensitive to initial conditions favouring significant supercooling. · · · Peter Southwood : 07:07, 28 January 2021 (UTC)
  • In a word, ‘no’. There are no clear descriptions because it cannot be reliably created. And while it may be sensitive to initial conditions, it may also be sensitive to so-called hidden variables, or even to supernatural intervention. My (admittedly limited) reading of the literature strongly suggests the effect is nonexistent, attributable to measurement errors. Indeed, there seems to be much more research into explaining the so-called effect than in actually demonstrating it. Slgaiser (talk) 23:54, 12 June 2021 (UTC)
  • Frankly, it seems so absurd on its face that I'm surprised the article treats it with as much deference as it does. If this were true, it would lead to some absurd results. Consider putting equal volumes of 100 degree C water into two beakers, putting the first in one freezer and the second on the kitchen counter, and then waiting for 1 hour. At this point, the water that is in the first beaker will be considerably colder than that in the second. Then put the second beaker in a second freezer -- if this theory were true, then the second beaker would freeze faster. And if, at the same time, you put a third beaker, this one with 100 degree water, into a third freezer, it would freeze faster than the second beaker, and therefore faster than the first -- but this is an absurdity: how could the third beaker, which was placed in its freezer at the same temperature that the first beaker was when it was placed in its freezer an hour before, freeze before the first beaker? -Waidawut (talk) 03:31, 14 July 2021 (UTC)
Fluid dynamics and thermodynamics are not uncommonly counterintuitive. It's a bit burried in the current version of the article, but in my view, the best theoretical explanation is from 2021. To quote from the abstract of that paper, This theory is shown to be consistent with analysis of observations of freezing times measured by Mpemba and Osborne. My point here is that simple thought experiments aren't sufficient to refute experimental findings observing such an effect, as more sophisticated theory is consistent with the Mpemba effect. I do agree, though, that it would be nice to have more experimental evidence? A challenge to any applied physicists out there? Klbrain (talk) 20:01, 15 July 2021 (UTC)

References

  1. Zimmerman, William B. (July 2021). "Towards a microbubble condenser: Dispersed microbubble mediation of additional heat transfer in aqueous solutions due to phase change dynamics in airlift vessels". Chemical Engineering Science. 238: 116618. doi:10.1016/j.ces.2021.116618.

Phlogiston

Having read the references, I’m in the camp that the Mpemba effect is bogus, pseudo science. Or call it “Urban Myth”. Or maybe it’s real. Regardless, I added this possible theory mostly as a joke. I understand that this is inconsistent with the guidelines for Misplaced Pages, and accordingly invite its removal.

That said, I also wrote it hoping that readers might follow the phlogiston link, learn about it, and consider the evolution from today’s credible theories to yesterday’s debunked ones.

At least combustion is real.  ;-)

Slgaiser (talk) 23:23, 12 June 2021 (UTC)

Not at all amusing; fortunately, someone quickly reversed your unconstructive edits. Klbrain (talk) 14:38, 22 August 2021 (UTC)
Resolved

I’m glad my misuse was quickly corrected. I will henceforth refrain. Perhaps my good intentions will reap benefits for some few who read this talk page.

Graph in lead

The lead says that "this so-called “effect” is not reproducible" then has a graph reproducing it, showing hot water reaching zero before cold water. Should the graph be there, or is the sentence incorrect? --Lord Belbury (talk) 15:41, 18 August 2021 (UTC)

The sentence, using the pejorative "so-called" and scare quotes around "effect" is definitely not neutral, and doesn't reflect what the cited source actually says. I have modified the sentence. ~Anachronist (talk) 18:43, 22 August 2021 (UTC)

Diagram as the lead image

Anyone can create a personal web page, self-publish a book, or claim to be an expert. That is why self-published material such as books, patents, newsletters, personal websites, open wikis, personal or group blogs (as distinguished from newsblogs, above), content farms, Internet forum postings, and social media postings are largely not acceptable as sources — Preceding unsigned comment added by Slgaiser (talkcontribs) 04:07, 4 November 2021 (UTC)

@Slgaiser: Please familiarize yourself with Misplaced Pages policy. WP:OI in particular. ~Anachronist (talk) 05:28, 4 November 2021 (UTC)

The following comments are about the image file File:Mpemba-two-water-probes.svg, currently at the top of the page (but soon to be removed again). The data shown in that image come from the web site picotech.com, a seller of temperature measuring and data logging devices. (See the link under External Sites.). The image clearly fails WP’s verifiability standards (see WP:VERIFY) for two reasons.

First, my previously stated objection to the above image file is that it presents data that do not meet Misplaced Pages’s standards for verifiability, specifically because those data have only been self-published by a non-expert (see WP:SELFPUB). And while the discussion has revolved around a specific image file, this discussion is fundamentally not about the image itself, but rather is about the inclusion or exclusion of information, in this case Picotech’s self-published temperature measurements. And so WP:SPS logically applies not just to the image in question, but also to any other tabulation, plot, or other representation of Picotech’s data.

I now add a second objection, to be considered separately, that the data under discussion do not meet verifiably standards because they represent original research. The injunction in WP:NOR is explicit: “Misplaced Pages articles must not contain original research”. I assert that Picotech’s experiment (and results) are self-evidently original research, precluding them entirely. Again, this refers to the research itself, the data, in whatever form, plotted, tabulated, or otherwise. It’s difficult to conceive of any reasonable definition of “original research” which does not include the results of Picotech’s private experiments, “unpublished” as WP uses the term.

Having familiarized myself with WP:OI, I find nothing of relevance, except perhaps “Original images created by a Wikipedian are not considered original research…”, with exceptions. Surely it is not intended that Original Images are some sort of “magic verifiability wrapper” (my term)? Not intended that an Original Image of unverifiable original research somehow becomes verifiable? That an Original Image of unverifiable self-published material becomes verifiable? Or that an Original Image of a screenshot of an unverifiable blog is itself verifiable? I hope I misunderstand.

As an afterthought, I speculate that had the data shown come from a verifiable source (peer reviewed, or self-published by an expert), that there would be some discussion of why the samples seem to freeze at three degrees instead of at zero, and why there is an odd step in each sample’s temperature around six degrees, and why neither sample appears to have supercooled. And would better describe the experimental setup, and would say something about repeatability. Those hallmarks will likely be present in most reliable, verifiable sources. Slgaiser (talk) 18:49, 6 November 2021 (UTC)

@Slgaiser: To answer your objections:
The image meets standards of verifiability under WP:OI because anyone can replicate the experiment and, if the conditions are correct, obtain a similar graph.
The fact that the image was created by a seller of temperature probes is irrelevant. It would not be in their interest to falsify information. This is clearly the result of an experiment demonstrating their probes. So what? The graphic itself is not an attempt to advertise or sell anything. An objection based on the identity of the creator is invalid on its face.
Data published by non-experts, as a result of experiment, is acceptable under WP:OI, which clearly states "Original images created by a Wikipedian are not considered original research, so long as they do not illustrate or introduce unpublished ideas or arguments." This diagram does not illustrate or introduce an unpublished idea or argument. It illustrates a previously published idea/argument. That is acceptable.
You even acknowledge yourself that the graph wasn't made available by some noob fooling around at home, but by a maker of temperature probes, who clearly must know something about measuring temperature, and therefore must have some expertise. You have no knowledge about the credentials behind the designer of the probes or the person who conducted the experiment. But that doesn't matter, according to WP:OI.
The image may simply be the result of a student experiment. So what? A result is a result. The article clearly states that it is not easy to reproduce. If an example can be found, released under an acceptable free license, illustrating the result, then it serves as a good illustration for this article.
You can find similar graphs in scholarly journals on Google Scholar. Figure 7 in this article is one example. We cannot use it though, because of copyright. The fact that such images exist doesn't mean we must use them instead. We can't without a release from the copyright holder. Therefore, we use images generated by non-experts instead.
That there are anomalies in the graph simply illustrate possible problems with the experimental setup. I have no doubt that this graph is the result of an actual, but flawed, experiment. And the article discusses the possibility that all these Mpemba effect experiments are flawed. That is not a reason to remove the image.
Instead of removing it, the caption should be improved. I have added a caption, and invite you to improve on it. ~Anachronist (talk) 19:07, 6 November 2021 (UTC)

Suggested explanations

Thermal conductivity

  1. Criticism of §1: ME also arises (sometimes) outdoors, on block or pot of ice.
    On a dry, clean cooler surface, i.e. ice thickness ~0, and not flat bottom of the cup, bottom conductance is usually poor. (According to )
  2. Compelling proposal, if you read more then abstract. Until reviewed by others added as "Suggested explanation".

References

  1. ^ Tier, Ren (2022-01-18). "Mpemba Effect Demystified". doi:10.31224/osf.io/3ejnh. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

Attention seeking unscience

The topic is poorly defined. What do you mean «in some circumstances it can happen»? Until the circumstances are properly described, theres no substance to be dicussed. The lack of rigorous description of the experiment that produces this observation it is meaningless to say «all other factors constant».

and this is just the very first step of desribing what would be descussed. Then come the reference to aristotle and others, while theres still nothing clarified. at best this would be a fun paradox for teaching physics, if it were described to any level. But it isnt. In its current form its pseudoscience that is not even wrong, just waste of time.

to be clear, this isnt the fault of the schoolboy who made the first observation. But neither is his obaervation amount to a “physics effect”, instead it is an effect in the sensationalist journalism reporting sense. the first perspn who reported it should have made a better job, but that is also not to find a fault with the reporter. Reporters are not expected to only make scientifically meaningful statements.

this shifts the burden to the next in line, which is wikipedia: this article should either give a scientifically rigorous description of the effect, that is refer to a publication where these details are included, or begin the lede with a clear statement that no such experiment is to be found and therefore refer the topic to the heresay, beer science, word-play category which may say that there is a hitherto unexplayed phenomena but, fails to describe the phenomena in a way that would be the prerequisite of any methodological inquiry into its explanation. 2A02:2121:62B:5A3C:94B8:62C4:138E:62A4 (talk) 10:43, 26 May 2024 (UTC).

Aristotle said

A has said a great many things on many topics, but ref.3. gives no account as to what relevant statement A has made and how that relates to the alleged observation. This reference is of as much use as another reference to what Puss in Boots has said would have been.2A02:2121:62B:5A3C:94B8:62C4:138E:62A4 (talk) 10:53, 26 May 2024 (UTC).

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