For the Chemistry Folks

Yes, Hannah, that means you.

I just had the weirdest thing happen with a soda (a 20-oz Dr. Pepper). It had been sitting in my freeze-anything-in-30-minutes-freezer for a couple of hours. When my pizza arrived, I pulled it out, only to find it still liquid (I was aiming for slushy). I shook it, to verify it’s liquid-ness.

As soon as I loosened the cap, however, the drink began to solidify (in a downward wave, no less) into the slushy I wanted. Hella weird. I’ve seen it happen with water, too. My first thought was of pressure and temperature, but I know I don’t know what I’m talking about, ‘cuz those equations are about ideal gases.

Oh, and another question: Why doesn’t water become slushy like sodas and juices will? Is it the sugar?

[Listening to: Cradle and All – Ani DiFranco – So Much Shouting, So Much Laughter Disc 1 (04:41)]