freezing finger

[the guy]

for a short story i'm writing;

what would happen if someone's finger was submerged in -25 degrees C liquid? would it freeze enough to smash it or would it just kill it or what?

[rktpro]

Fingers would become useless/dead and so the hand. I heard Bear Grylls say so.

[CharonY]

Depends on the length of exposure. First thing is numbness then frostbite. Eventually the finger dies off. I doubt that with -25° you are able to make tissue so brittle that it breaks easily. Maybe after very long exposure you may find stress fractures (my guess is that you require lower temperatures, though, maybe -40).

There are likely to be reports from expeditions with details, though.

 

Also, I wold not try it out, as much as one might encourage experimental validation.

[the guy]

ok thankyou, and don't worry i do not intend to try this, it's bad enough sticking your finger in 0 degrees water!

[xxSilverPhinxx]

If you freeze it quickly before giving it time to die, it might become brittle. The ice crystals would break the cell structure from the inside when they expand.

Edited July 12, 2011 by xxSilverPhinxx

[Ringer]

If you freeze it quickly before giving it time to die, it might become brittle. The ice crystals would break the cell structure from the inside when they expand.

 

Wouldn't you have to flash freeze it for that?

[xxSilverPhinxx]

Wouldn't you have to flash freeze it for that?

 

I think liquid nitrogen should do the trick.