Ice in Beverages

When placed in a beverage, ice has several effects. It cools, dilutes, and occupies volume.

Ice cools in two ways: 1) If the ice is colder than the freezing point of water, heat will transfer into the ice. 2) Once the temperature of the ice has reached the freezing point, heat will continue transferring to the ice but now cooling will also be accompanied by melting, thereby diluting the beverage with water.

Varieties of ice are primarily distinguished by the sizes of the pieces, from one large chunk to a collection of finely shaved flakes. Larger pieces of ice tend to melt slower and therefore dilute a drink less over time. However, the cooling effect is reduced accordingly.

Standard ice cubes will initially occupy about half of the volume in a drink. For example, a 10 ounce glass filled with ice has only enough room for 5 ounces of the beverage.
 
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