Tiny water droplets reveal minimum number of molecules to make ice

An image showing a water droplet

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Ice as we know it ceases to exist in droplets that fall below this threshold

Ice crystals can only form in nanodroplets with at least 90 molecules, scientists have discovered. The tiny water clusters don’t freeze like bulk water, but rapidly oscillate between a crystalline, solid-like and disordered, liquid-like state around their freezing temperature.