Explaining the shape of freezing droplets

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This image shows the freezing front, resulting in a pointy shape. A water droplet deposited onto an icecold surface clearly has more effect than a drop in the ocean: the droplet will freeze in a peculiar way, forming a pointy tip. Scientists of the University of Twente have, in cooperation with colleagues from Paris, Brussels and Munich, found an explanation for this remarkable shape. They used video images and advanced mathematics for this. Insight into this process is also useful for understanding processes like 3D printing. The results are published in the August 1 issue of Physical Review Letters. It is typically a ‘do try this at home’ experiment that can be performed using a deep-frozen plate (colder than minus 15 degrees Celsius, preferably) and some water at room temperature. A droplet falling on the plate, will freeze starting at the bottom. It will not stay round, but turn into a conical shape. Existing theories could not explain this shape transformation. Read more at: Phys.org  

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