Ice is a substance that most people tend to take for granted. However, it’s so much more than frozen water that keeps your drinks cold!
We truly love the products that we deliver to our ice delivery customers and aim to be local experts on ice and ice products. So, here are some “cool” facts about ice that should get conversations going at your next gathering.
Ice is One of the Nation’s Oldest Businesses
Ice has been an American industry since the late 1800s, although it wasn’t always the calculated delivery system we have today. Early ice companies actually had to harvest ice with the available tools of the time, send the ice downstream to ice houses, and then prepare it for commercial and residential use.
Ice traveled through many hands before it reached consumers, and reached consumers at the speed of its delivery system (i.e. boat, train)
Ice was a pretty labor intensive commodity in the beginning, and we are truly fortunate to have the equipment and technology today that allows us to produce and deliver ice with ease.
Water Has Higher Density Than Ice
Although ice is harder than water, that doesn’t make it more dense. After all, when ice freezes, it expands and its density is spread out. This reduction in molecular mass is what decreases the density of ice and allows the material to float in water.
Ice is a Resource of Many Names
Frozen water isn’t just called “ice” in all of its forms. In fact, Sea Ice alone, has several different names for the substance. Some variations on ice identification include:
- Frazil
- Nilas
- Brash
- Iceberg
- Icefoot
- Floeberg, and many more!
Dry Ice Isn’t Water at All
Despite being a member of the ice family, dry ice is definitely the black sheep. Dry ice is frozen carbon dioxide that changes into a gas when exposed to room temperatures. Thanks to its makeup, dry ice sits at a freezing minus 109.3 degrees Fahrenheit, and can leave your skin with burns if contact occurs.
We deliver dry ice as one of our featured products, but will always give our customers the most useful advice when it comes to handling this product at a public event.
There Wasn’t Just One Ice Age
Although we only really learned about the latest Ice Age, the truth is that there have been several throughout the passage of time. Some scientists claim that as evolution occurred and new life forms emerged, the carbon dioxide and oxygen concentration changed in a way that brought on different Ice Ages.
It’s even theorized that at one point in time, the Earth was actually a frozen planet.
Keep Your Next Event Cool With Emergency Ice
We could go on all day about the wonders of ice, but we know that the summer’s not getting any cooler and events still need reliable ice delivery. Let Emergency Ice make keeping your food and drinks cool simple. All you have to do is place an order and we’ll deliver your product when you need it. Contact us today to get your order started.