# shrinking ice!!!!!!?????????

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shrinking-ice/50666>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 18, 2001, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shrinking-ice/50666 "2001-01-18T09:09:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![zub](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a6a055/32.png) [@zub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zub)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2001, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shrinking-ice/50666/1 "2001-01-18T09:09:02Z")

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\<\< recently i froze some water in the icecubeboxthing in the fridge. then  
i forgot about the ice and after a few days i was amazed to find that the ice  
cubes had shrunk. i tried it again and bingo the ice had shrunk again.  
why the hell does this happen?

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**Author:** ![Stupendous\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@Stupendous\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stupendous_man)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2001, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shrinking-ice/50666/2 "2001-01-18T09:29:37Z")

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Ice in your freezer that is rarely used will experience sublimation (ice evaporation).  
Sublimation occurs when air moves across the frozen cubes in your freezer during the self-defrost cycle, and vaporizing the cubes, which then get smaller. The fridge does not melt the ice during this cycle.

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**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2001, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shrinking-ice/50666/3 "2001-01-18T14:13:15Z")

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Darn! I always thought it was the little man inside your freezer that turned off the light bulb who just shoveled off a little bit for his ice tea.  
🙂

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2001, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shrinking-ice/50666/4 "2001-01-18T14:24:29Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Dragwyr \*  
> \*\*Darn! I always thought it was the little man inside your freezer that turned off the light bulb who just shoveled off a little bit for his ice tea.  
> 🙂 \*\*

That is the **most ridiculous explanation** I’ve ever heard! There’s no light in the freezer–the little man turns out the light in the REFRIGERATOR!!!

:rolleyes:

😃