# ice **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 7, 2000, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice/28385 "2000-08-07T05:35:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![craiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@craiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/craiger)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2000, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice/28385/1 "2000-08-07T05:35:54Z")
can ice evaporate while in the freezer if kept uncovered and dormant? ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2000, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice/28385/2 "2000-08-07T05:58:49Z")
It does in my freezer. However, I have a freezer that has to be defrosted. I don’t know if that makes a difference. ---
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2000, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice/28385/3 "2000-08-07T06:13:47Z")
I think the process you are asking about is known as [url=“[http://www.britannica.com/bcom/eb/article/4/0,5716,71924,00.html#Article](http://www.britannica.com/bcom/eb/article/4/0,5716,71924,00.html#Article)”]sublimation\*. My father is of the opinion that some of the recent failures in various space probes, from the Russian Vegas to the Mars mishaps, are a result of poorly understood sublimation of certain alloys in the vacuum of space. ---
**Author:** ![jb\_farley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9d8465/32.png) [@jb\_farley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb_farley)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2000, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice/28385/4 "2000-08-07T06:14:47Z")
i believe so. there’s always a slight layer of liquid water on top of the ice. so i don’t see why that wouldn’t evaporate and get deposited all over the rest of the freezer after some length of time. ---
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2000, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice/28385/5 "2000-08-07T06:14:52Z")
[I am a dork.](http://www.britannica.com/bcom/eb/article/4/0,5716,71924,00.html#Article) ---
**Author:** ![craiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@craiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/craiger)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2000, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice/28385/6 "2000-08-07T06:16:20Z")
sublimation??? ooooh i think thats whats happening here!! ---
**Author:** ![Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/258eb7/32.png) [@Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wonko_The_Sane)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2000, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice/28385/7 "2000-08-07T14:31:35Z")
Sublimation joke—\> [http://www.milk.com/random-humor/sublimation\_joke.html](http://www.milk.com/random-humor/sublimation_joke.html) Some time ago, I was taking a ground school class for private pilots. During the sessions on weather, the instructor wanted to discuss the concept of sublimation–the act of going from a gas to a solid skipping the intermediate stage(s). e.g., frost–water vapor in the air becoming a solid on surfaces without first going through the liquid stage. Wanting to see if the class had understood the concept, the instructor asked if anyone could provide an example of something that went straight from a solid to a gas (expecting `dry ice'' as the answer), a previously unknown section of my mind took control of my mouth and immediately emitted the word `burrito.’’ It took the instructor about 10 minutes to regain an academic composure. too silly.