# Where did the water go?



## Drew (May 30, 2005)

This morning I decided to clean our Stainless Steel Teapot. I put a level teaspoon of Citric Acid in the teapot and filled it to the top with boiling water and left it for a couple of hours.

When I returned the water in the tea pot had reduced by about ¼", with no sign of any spillage below the tea pot.

I then refilled the teapot to the top again with boiling water, put a piece of kitchen paper under the teapot, ensuring that the area was completely dry and left it for another two hours.

Again when I returned the water in the tea pot had reduced by at least ¼" with the paper underneath completely dry.

I was flabbergasted, where did the water go" I can't believe it evaporated in such a short time.

Any ideas please.


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## peribro (Sep 6, 2009)

Water expands when it's hot so I'm guessing it's a combination of that plus some evaporation.


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## Pat-H (Oct 30, 2009)

Is the water fizzing at all? Its possible the reaction of the Acid with either the metal or any contaminant is giving off gas. That gas has to come form the solution so the solution will reduce in volume. Much like old lead acid batteries needed topping up with distilled water every now and then.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Proppa Sians and fizzics now.


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## Leffe NL (Jul 14, 2015)

peribro said:


> Water expands when it's hot so I'm guessing it's a combination of that plus some evaporation.


Water is the exception, in that it expands when it gets colder, hence broken water pipes in the winter.

I'd say pure evaporation.


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## siggie (Oct 2, 2010)

Someone made a couple of cups of tea :grin2:


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## tugboat (Sep 14, 2013)

Leffe NL said:


> Water is the exception, in that it expands when it gets colder, hence broken water pipes in the winter.
> 
> I'd say pure evaporation.


Ackshirley, it expands when it freezes (due to entrapped air), hence the burst pipes.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Most liquids have a quite simple behavior when they are cooled (at a fixed pressure): they shrink. The liquid contracts as it is cooled; because the molecules are moving slower they are less able to overcome the attractive intermolecular forces drawing them closer to each other. Then the freezing temperature is reached, and the substance solidifies, which causes it to contract some more because crystalline solids are usually tightly packed.

Water is one of the few exceptions to this behavior. When liquid water is cooled, it contracts like one would expect until a temperature of approximately 4 degrees Celsius is reached. After that, it expands slightly until it reaches the freezing point, and then when it freezes it expands by approximately 9%.

So there.


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## emmbeedee (Oct 31, 2008)

*Expands*



Leffe NL said:


> Water is the exception, in that it expands when it gets colder, hence broken water pipes in the winter.
> 
> I'd say pure evaporation.


Actually, water expands when heated & contracts when cooled, except when it gets down to 4 C when it expands again:

See here: http://tinyurl.com/Water-expanding

Edit: Grrr, Kev beat me to it!


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## peribro (Sep 6, 2009)

Leffe NL said:


> Water is the exception, in that it expands when it gets colder, hence broken water pipes in the winter.


Water expands by up to 9% in volume when it freezes but it also expands by 4% when taken from room temperature to boiling point.


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## Leffe NL (Jul 14, 2015)

Kev_n_Liz said:


> Most liquids have a quite simple behavior when they are cooled (at a fixed pressure): they shrink. The liquid contracts as it is cooled; because the molecules are moving slower they are less able to overcome the attractive intermolecular forces drawing them closer to each other. Then the freezing temperature is reached, and the substance solidifies, which causes it to contract some more because crystalline solids are usually tightly packed.
> 
> Water is one of the few exceptions to this behavior. When liquid water is cooled, it contracts like one would expect until a temperature of approximately 4 degrees Celsius is reached. After that, it expands slightly until it reaches the freezing point, and then when it freezes it expands by approximately 9%.
> 
> So there.


That's very interesting! Thanks for the explanation!


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## Leffe NL (Jul 14, 2015)

Comment withdrawn :grin2:

Learn something new every day!


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Google was my friend I have to confess


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## Leffe NL (Jul 14, 2015)

So where did the water go? ;-)


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## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

More importantly where did the extra water come from.
So if we fill up with diesel in a cold climate then drive in a warm climate do we get more mpg.
Do oil and water companies undersell to customers in warmer countries and oversell to those in cold climates.
Hmm!


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Volume v Density???


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## Sprinta (Sep 15, 2010)

Kev_n_Liz said:


> Volume v Density???


you just described a Donald Trump rally crowd - Loud & Thick >


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

You just had to do it didn't you.


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## Sprinta (Sep 15, 2010)

Kev_n_Liz said:


> You just had to do it didn't you.


yup >


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## Sprinta (Sep 15, 2010)

as a matter of interest, but not to many perhaps 

when I was racing and trying to extract as much power on a given day as possible we would always want a cool day, when the air was denser; then we would always like an element of damp in the air as it appeared to give just that little bit more go as well. Water injection is quite common on turbo engines, I'm told it helps to retard the burn rate of petrol and allows a more thorough combustion, perhaps that's why cars & bikes can appear to give more power in misty/foggy conditions?


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Hence the intercooler on engines to cool and make the air more dense.

Water injection, I had a Mazda 626 years ago it had water injection, and Beemer had it too, but that was just the head gasket


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Why didn't you use white wine vinegar to clean the pot? You can put the shower head in as well.

Ray.


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

Google should be everybody's friend. Thanks for checking that out Kev.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

I had no choice Alan, I had the need to know


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

Yep. I'd checked it out too. Very interesting. Not entirely unexpected having tried boiling a tin of beans as a lad and being well aware of the damage ice could do.


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## vicdicdoc (May 14, 2005)

Sprinta said:


> as a matter of interest, but not to many perhaps
> 
> when I was racing and trying to extract as much power on a given day as possible we would always want a cool day, when the air was denser; then we would always like an element of damp in the air as it appeared to give just that little bit more go as well. Water injection is quite common on turbo engines, I'm told it helps to retard the burn rate of petrol and allows a more thorough combustion, perhaps that's why cars & bikes can appear to give more power in misty/foggy conditions?


I believe that during the '39/'45 war, some busses & coaches used to add water to the diesel to (?) enhance mpg


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Hmm it's filtered out nowadays, maybe we're missing a trick, although as far as I know water isn't explosive, not unless you put it in a real Scots Whisky.


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

https://www.dieselnet.com/tech/engine_water.php


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

revenge ah, nice one and thank you Alan, I thought it a myth, but too early for searching here, not had me first brew yet, going to be another warm un though.

Got van, house to fettle before 2pm.


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## Sprinta (Sep 15, 2010)

I much preferred to add N2O and not H2O into my engines


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

Not revenge, just interesting Kev.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

I meant in the Touche way Alan


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