The Cool Reason Why Washingtonians are Putting a Quarter in Their Freezer

What's The Deal With Freezing A Quarter In The Freezer In Washington State?

Have you seen tweets or posts about people putting a quarter in a cup in their freezer? 

How Does A TikTok Trend Have Washingtonians Freezing A Quarter In The Freezer?

Are you thinking they might have just gone crazy during quarantine? Well, you’d be wrong, this trend is a smart and easy way to test your freezer’s capabilities.

Facebook and TikTok have been going crazy with this viral hack and now people in Washington State are using the life hack in real time so I thought I'd break down the reasons this trick has gone viral.

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First, let’s dive into the science behind it. A quarter is made of a combination of copper and nickel, which are both very good conductors of heat. In contrast, the air in a freezer is a poor conductor of heat.

This means that when you put a frozen quarter in a cup in the freezer, it provides a good indication of the temperature inside the freezer.

Secondly, this trend helps people determine if their food is safe to eat or if their freezer has malfunctioned. If the quarter is frozen solid alongside your food, your freezer has maintained a stable temperature throughout.

If the quarter has sunk to the bottom of the cup or is partially or completely thawed, it means that the freezer has experienced a power outage or has been left open. This can cause your food to spoil and become unsafe to eat.

So that's the trick behind the quarter in the freezer, it's about tracking to see if your freezer lost power or not.