**Ask a monkey a physics question thread**

[Renton]

This is probably a stupidly basic question but:

Are freezing/boiling points of substances completely hard numbers? By that I mean, can water in liquid form exist below 0 degrees celsius, or likewise can it exist at above 100?

I'm aware that running water cannot freeze as easily as standing water, but is that because the movement of the water raises the temperature or what?

[NightGizmo]

This is probably a stupidly basic question but:

Are freezing/boiling points of substances completely hard numbers? By that I mean, can water in liquid form exist below 0 degrees celsius, or likewise can it exist at above 100?

I'm aware that running water cannot freeze as easily as standing water, but is that because the movement of the water raises the temperature or what?

The freezing/boiling points are not absolute, they also depend some factors. It's been a while since chemistry, but you can change those temperatures by dissolving other materials (like salt, which is why it is used to de-ice roads -- it lowers the freezing point and raises the boiling point). Pressure also affects those numbers -- that's why there are different directions for cooking at high altitudes (the boiling point is lower due to the reduced air pressure).