Why does ice melt faster in water than in air?
Ice melts faster in water than in air because water can hold more heat and add heat to the ice faster than air can. Water has a higher heat capacity than air and conducts heat faster than air.The Zeroeth Law of ThermodynamicsLeft alone, water and ice will come to the same temperature. The same is true for ice and air.Specific HeatThe specific heat of a substance is the amount of energy (measured in calories) required to raise 1 gram of that substance 1 degree C. Water has a specific heat of 1 calorie / 1 gram. Air has a specific heat of 0.172 calories / 1 gram. It takes 5.81 grams of air to transmit the same amount of heat as does water at the same temperature.DensityAir is a gas and has a much lower density than water. One gram of water occupies a volume of 1 cubic centimeter (cc). One gram of air occupies a volume of 775 cc. Therefore 5.81 grams of air occupy a volume of 4502 cc.
