physics knowing guys

[tdcoly]

I bought two stainless steel water bottles to freeze overnight and carry in my insulated lunch bag.  I fill them about 3/4 quarters full (keeping in mind expansion), and freeze them on their sides.  When I take them out of the freezer, the bottom side is flat, but returns to normal as they thaw.

WTF is going on?

[stroh]

I still can't figure out how they get cheese to come out of a can.

[tdcoly]

I still can't figure out how they get cheese to come out of a can.

Thanks.

[Uisce Beatha]

I still can't figure out how they get cheese to come out of a can.

http://answers.yahoo.com/...qid=20090308154938AAEgZIx

[stroh]

I still can't figure out how they get cheese to come out of a can.

http://answers.yahoo.com/...qid=20090308154938AAEgZIx

LMAO @ the comments/replies.   

[twoiron]

Are they forged or cast water botles??

[dystopia]

I bought two stainless steel water bottles to freeze overnight and carry in my insulated lunch bag.  I fill them about 3/4 quarters full (keeping in mind expansion), and freeze them on their sides.  When I take them out of the freezer, the bottom side is flat, but returns to normal as they thaw.

WTF is going on?

That's interesting.  I've frozen plastic water bottles on the side and they ended up oval, but I'm not sure why the bottom would turn out flat for a stainless steel bottle.

[MFAWG]

I'm guessing the insulation under the stainless compresses, but the physics of how it turns out flat elude me.

Where is our resident engineer?

[gleek]

Are these cylindrical water bottles that ended up with a flat side when frozen?

[tdcoly]

Are these cylindrical water bottles that ended up with a flat side when frozen?

Yep.  No insulation.

[Aske]

I guess I'm still trying to understand the ? completely.

so you lay an (ideally) perfect cylinder down in the freezer, and it comes out as basically an extruded "D" , with the flat part of the D being where it lay against the freezer "floor"
 

[stroh]

I guess I'm still trying to understand the ? completely.

so you lay an (ideally) perfect cylinder down in the freezer, and it comes out as basically an extruded "D" , with the flat part of the D being where it lay against the freezer "floor"
 

That's the way I read it, and during the course of the day (the thawing and gaining ambient temperature) it returns to a cylinder.

I have one of those bottles I want to try it on, however, Karen already froze one it bubbled out the bottom so it won't stand any more, so I'm not sure I want to take a chance on *goshdarn* up the other one.

[tdcoly]

I guess I'm still trying to understand the ? completely.

so you lay an (ideally) perfect cylinder down in the freezer, and it comes out as basically an extruded "D" , with the flat part of the D being where it lay against the freezer "floor"
 

Not the entire bottle.  The bottom prevents a total "D", the flat spot is basically at the midpoint between the top and bottom.

I have one of those bottles I want to try it on, however, Karen already froze one it bubbled out the bottom so it won't stand any more, so I'm not sure I want to take a chance on *goshdarn* up the other one.

Just fill it 3/4 full to allow for the expansion as the water freezes.

[gleek]

LMAO @ stroh breaking out the "ambient temperature" reference
My guess is that these bottles were filled with with fairly warm water. With an air-tight seal, the air space will shrink in volume as the trapped air cools. In general, the contraction of the air will far exceed the expansion of the water ice.

[tdcoly]

LMAO @ stroh breaking out the "ambient temperature" reference
My guess is that these bottles were filled with with fairly warm water. With an air-tight seal, the air space will shrink in volume as the trapped air cools. In general, the contraction of the air will far exceed the expansion of the water ice.

I like it!  But, why is the flat spot on the bottom and not the top (where the air bubble is)?