# Say the temperature swings between 31° and 33°F. Which part of an icicle has the most recent water?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-the-temperature-swings-between-31-and-33-f-which-part-of-an-icicle-has-the-most-recent-water/649851>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 10, 2013, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-the-temperature-swings-between-31-and-33-f-which-part-of-an-icicle-has-the-most-recent-water/649851 "2013-02-10T04:45:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-the-temperature-swings-between-31-and-33-f-which-part-of-an-icicle-has-the-most-recent-water/649851/1 "2013-02-10T04:45:57Z")

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See subject. I’ve been thinking about this off and on all night, and I keep coming up with different answers.

So far I’ve thought that following variables must be figured in: amount of time at 31°, 32°, and 33°; wind speed; length of icicle; surface tension; condensation; and rates of melting and freezing in air and on ice.

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**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-the-temperature-swings-between-31-and-33-f-which-part-of-an-icicle-has-the-most-recent-water/649851/2 "2013-02-10T11:06:05Z")

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The outside.

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**Author:** ![Shiloh2013](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@Shiloh2013](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shiloh2013)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-the-temperature-swings-between-31-and-33-f-which-part-of-an-icicle-has-the-most-recent-water/649851/3 "2013-02-10T12:38:37Z")

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This reminds me about the one with the 10x10x10 cube, with a lightbulb in the center of the top. When the light is turned on, which part of the cube gets light first? last? When the light is turned off, which part of the cube gets dark first? last?