Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 11/18/2009 - 07:45
Forums
Antarctic Undersea ROV 09

Hi Michele and the Team!

Our class in Flagstaff Arizona is learning about sublimation, can you tell us what would happen on a warm (relatively) day in Antarctica if you held an ice cube in a gloved hand? Here it would melt and your hand would get cold and wet, how about there?????

Thank you! Beto, Marvin, Lane, Misty, Jose, Parker and Adrian...and Jillian

Tue, 12/01/2009 - 08:33

Michele Cross

Hey guys!!
How'd you like to come here where it too is sunny and "warm"?? At least the days find temperatures in the 20's, but the winds can still be a killer!!
In terms of holding an ice cube in a gloved hand....well, I wear many types of gloves depending on what I'm doing. When I wear the leather insulated gloves, handling wet things like drill bits, tethers etc. eventually soak my glove all the way through and then my fingers get pretty cold. If I held an ice cube in that gloved hand, sublimation is taking place but so slowly that you don't know it. Molecules are "boinging' off but at a much slower rate. (Have you ever had a full ice cube tray in the freezer but left it in so long that when you pulled it out weeks and weeks later the ice cubes were gone?? That's very slow sublimation taking place. Try it if your folks can spare some freezer space!!?
Back to to the gloved hand....if I wear gloves that are thin enough to allow the heat from my body through, the cube would melt and my hand would get both wet and cold.
 Hope that helps!! Soak up some warmth for me!!
Mrs. Cross