There are a few certainties in this world—one of them being that if water gets too cold, it gets frozen. It’s a law of nature that we often take for granted, but TikToker Joe Thaxton (@joethaxton) went viral after discovering that this isn’t always the case.
In his 30-second TikTok, which has amassed 912,300 views, Thaxton began by showing viewers the water bottle pack on his snowy porch. “I’ve been keeping my water on the porch,” he said. “[Here’s] proof that it was here when it snowed. It’s been out here for three days.”
He then picked up a bottle and showed viewers that it was still full of water and hadn’t frozen in the slightest. “My water in my house is frozen, but this water is not,” he added. “Are they putting glycol in our water?”
What is glycol?
Glycol is a man-made chemical used in products like antifreeze. According to Biomed Central, the substance prevents freezing by stopping the water molecules from forming ice crystals. Chardon Labs also notes that glycol’s freezing point is -39 farenheight, meaning that it freezes at a much colder temperature than water.
But do you want that glycol in your water? It depends on the type of it. Ethylene glycol is a type of glycol that is usually found in antifreeze and is absolutely not drinkable. The Agency For Toxic Substances and Disease Registry says that consuming large amounts of it can cause serious illness or death. However, the Agency notes that propylene glycol, another type of glycol, doesn’t pose the same risk. In fact, it is used in products like e-cigarettes.
Why didn’t the bottled water freeze?
It’s actually common for bottled water to remain unfrozen, despite the cold weather. According to the University of Illinois, the bottled water in the video was likely “supercooled.” It was stuck in its liquid state because it was a purified product and there was no imperfection in there to begin the literal freezing process.
As the university writes on its physics page: “Ice crystals form more easily when they grow on existing ice crystals—the water molecules like to pack themselves in place on a crystal that’s already gotten started. It doesn’t take much to start the crystallization process going—a little piece of dust or other impurity in the water, or even a scratch on the bottle are sometimes all it takes to get ice crystals growing.”
‘Pressure changes the freezing point’
In the comments, viewers shared their own theories on why the water in the bottle wasn’t frozen.
“Pressure changes the freezing point,” one claimed.
“Purified water has a lower freezing point,” another added.
While a third theorized that “as soon as you open it, it will freeze because you’re allowing particles to enter the water.”
“Some waters are so purified, and the added minerals like salt and such will keep them from freezing even when the temps are below freezing,” a fourth suggested.
Thaxton didn’t immediately respond to the Daily Dot’s request for comment.
@joethaxton 28 degrees f or less for the last 4 days and still not frozen. Things that makes you go hmmmm?
♬ Trying to Survive – Montgomery Gentry
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