Why do ice cubes crack in drinks? (SLOW MOTION)?

Ice cubes crack in drinks because they get surprised by the warm drink.

Imagine you're playing outside on a cold day and suddenly run into a hot bath, ouch! That’s what happens to ice cubes when they go into a warm drink. They start getting warmer fast, but not all parts of them warm up at the same time.

• The outside of the ice cube warms up first because it's touching the drink.
• The inside is still cold and doesn’t want to change quickly.
• This creates a kind of "fight" between the hot outside and the cool inside, like two kids pulling on opposite ends of a rope.

Eventually, the stress becomes too much, and snap!, the ice cube cracks.

When you watch it in slow motion, you can see each tiny part of the ice reacting one after another. It’s like watching a big snowball slowly melt, but with a crack! 🧊破裂

That's why ice cubes crack when they go into drinks. No magic, just science and a little surprise.