It might sound strange, but if you have two bowls of water: one with hot water and one with cold water and you put both bowls in the freezer, under the right conditions, the bowl with hot water might freeze faster than the bowl with cold water. This surprising result is known as the Mpemba effect, named after "Erasto Mpemba", the Tanzanian student who noticed it in the 1960s.

Here's a simple explanation: When water is heated, it undergoes changes that can influence its freezing behavior. Hot water evaporates more quickly, reducing its volume and leaving less water to freeze. Also, heating can remove dissolved gases from water, which might affect the freezing process. Another factor is that hot water can form convection currents as it cools, which helps distribute the heat more evenly, leading to faster cooling overall.

However, the Mpemba effect doesn't happen every time and depends on various factors like container shape, surrounding temperature, and water purity. Ideally for this effect to happen container should be shallow and wide, the surrounding temperature should be very cold and consistent, such as in a well-functioning freezer, also more pure the water more clearly effects can be seen, water should be significantly hotter than cold water and should be evaporating a lot .

Scientists are still studying the exact reasons behind this curious effect, and it remains a fascinating topic in the world of physics. So next time you boil water, remember that it might just freeze faster than cold water under the right circumstances!