Reflections
By John Cross
It is axiomatic in Minnesota that come January there will be ice. And that if there is ice, then skaters will be out there gliding effortlessly across its surface. While scientists can agree that ice is indeed a slippery material, they hardly are in agreement over what makes it so. A widely held belief has been that friction caused by the blades create a thin layer of water on the ice. Another theory holds that instead of friction, vibrating water molecules at the ice surface create the thin layer of water. Whatever the reason, what matters most to winter sports enthusiasts is that there is enough of the slippery material out there to enjoy their favorite outdoor activities. And for anyone outside of the snowbelt, perhaps the biggest mystery of ice is this: Why would any sane person drive their car out onto a place where mere weeks before, they still were floating boats?
22 • JANUARY 2012 • MANKATO MAGAZINE