On Wed, 26 Jan 2005 11:12:36 GMT, "SteveS"
wrote:

"bob watkinson" wrote in message
...
Why is ice slippery? When other substances such as metal or candlewax
reach a temperature that solidifies them they are not slippery so why
water?

Interesting question. Google found me the following:

http://www.exploratorium.edu/hockey/ice2.html


Ice is quite different to other slippery substances.

Teflon's fluorine filled molecules repel most other molecules (except fried egg)
hence why PTFE is slippery.

Graphite consists of layers of sheets of carbon atoms in a particular lattice
and the forces between sheets are weak, so they can easily slide across each
other.

As for slippery ice, I have noticed that ice can become quite "sticky" at low
temperatures - this, I presume, is due to the moisture layer on the skin, car
tyre or sole of your boot freezing to the ice. Nearly everyone has experienced
the strange effect when touching the coils of your home freezer and your fingers
sticking to it. I had a similar experience in Canada when at -20 C I got my
hand stuck to the car door handle.

Martin



HTH,
Steve