Explained: Why ice is really slippery (and why 200 years of physics just changed)
The Saarland researchers reveal that the slipperiness of ice is driven by electrostatic forces, not melting. Water molecules in ice are arranged in a rigid crystal lattice. Each molecule has a positive and negative end, forming what physicists call a dipole. Beneath the surface these dipoles sit in an orderly pattern. At the surface they are exposed and unbalanced, making them sensitive to any disturbance.
The Saarland researchers reveal that the slipperiness of ice is driven by electrostatic forces, not melting. Water molecules in ice are arranged in a rigid crystal lattice. Each molecule has a positive and negative end, forming what physicists call a dipole. Beneath the surface these dipoles sit in an orderly pattern. At the surface they are exposed and unbalanced, making them sensitive to any disturbance.
