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Is the Mpemba effect exclusive to water ?

So I was reading this post about really cool phenomena where hot water freezes faster than cold water.

But it only talks about water. Even online student only talk about water. I wanted to ask if it is generally true for any sort of liquids and/or homogenous/heterogeneous solutions. Eg Mercury , Ethanol, Acetone, etc...

If no, then why is it that water has this special property?

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    $\begingroup$ If no, then why is it that water has this special property? I don't think you will get an answer to this part, considering people still don't know why this effect happens (or if it even is a real effect or just due to incorrectly controlled experiments). $\endgroup$ Jul 9, 2019 at 13:25
  • $\begingroup$ @AaronStevens Or if it actually happens at all and isn't just related to poor controls. $\endgroup$
    – JMac
    Jul 9, 2019 at 13:27
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    $\begingroup$ Aaron Stevens is correct. The current issue isn't whether the Mpemba effect applies to other substances, but whether it applies to water in the first place. (Of course, PopSci will have you believe otherwise, because many people find it to be "cool science") $\endgroup$ Jul 9, 2019 at 13:28
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    $\begingroup$ @electronpusher I don't think the question is invalid. It is very possible that people have tried this out with other substances and found a similar effect. There could be similar issues of incorrectly controlled experiments, but still... $\endgroup$ Jul 9, 2019 at 13:31
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    $\begingroup$ @AaronStevens Come to think of it, you might expect that this should have already been tested more. Checking with other substances seems like a way to at least attempt to find poor experimental controls, depending on if the effect changes, or the extent of the effect changes, based on other factors. $\endgroup$
    – JMac
    Jul 9, 2019 at 13:44

2 Answers 2

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If, and I do mean IF, the typical explanation for the effect is correct, and supercooling is involved, then any liquid subject to supercooling should show this effect. It is subject to this if the spontaneous crystal forming temperature is below the seeding temperature, which is true for many substances.

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  • $\begingroup$ Your notification is right.Therefore "typical" explanation is incorrect. $\endgroup$
    – elias2010
    Apr 23, 2020 at 8:17
  • $\begingroup$ I do not understand what you mean by "notification"? $\endgroup$ Apr 24, 2020 at 2:06
  • $\begingroup$ I was meant your notice that "any liquid subject to supercooling should show this effect". $\endgroup$
    – elias2010
    Apr 24, 2020 at 6:39
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The effect is also present in granular fluids:PhysRevLett.119

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