I have a fridge\freezer with an ice maker. The automatic ice maker
storage got high and a single ice cube got
placed behind the large storage tray, it has sat there for a while,
but started getting smaller, now it is
almost nothing.

What causes this cube to get smaller in an environment that appears to
stay the same?

Sublimation. Evaporation from the dryer air around it. Happens to snow also.

Sublimation

http://www.wonderquest.com/ice-sublime.htm

s

yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:c03e94c6-6c37-475e-a52c-08b91335a961@f63g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...

On Tue, 18 Mar 2008 02:20:39 -0700 (PDT), monkey_cartman@yahoo.com
wrote:

In addition to sublimation as mentioned in other replies, the
environment is not 'stay the same'. The defrost cycle, done on a daily
basis raises the temperature of the freezer some and things in certain
locations where not well cooled can approach freezing temperatures.

On Mar 18, 4:20 am, monkey_cart...@yahoo.com wrote:

Same reason water evaporates in an environment that appears to stay
the same. Solids can evaporate into gas. Dry ice is famous for doing
that.

PD

"PD" gmail.com> wrote in message
news:3b9b5650-140f-43c3-9e5a-136aa3e7c4f7@d62g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
On Mar 18, 4:20 am, monkey_cart...@yahoo.com wrote:

Same reason water evaporates in an environment that appears to stay
the same. Solids can evaporate into gas. Dry ice is famous for doing
that.

PD

==============

"Famous" is right! I saw some dry ice on Letterman's show last year.

S. wrote on Tue, 18 Mar 2008 06:12:23 -0500:

news:c03e94c6-6c37-475e-a52c-08b91335a961@f63g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
??>> I have a fridge\freezer with an ice maker. The automatic
??>> ice maker storage got high and a single ice cube
??>> got placed behind the large storage tray, it has sat there
??>> for a while, but started getting smaller, now it is almost
??>> nothing.
??>>
??>> What causes this cube to get smaller in an environment
??>> that appears to stay the same?

As many people have said the cause is sublimation. Have you ever
examined the ice-cube tray after a vacation? It will probably be
quite apparent that the cubes are smaller than when you went
away.

On Mar 18, 5:20 am, monkey_cart...@yahoo.com wrote:

re: What causes this cube to get smaller in an environment that
appears to stay the same?

Ice Mites - Small, almost invisible creatures with constant teething
problems. By eating the stray ice cubes that end up outside of the
storage bin, they keep their gums numb. It's a survival instinct - if
they didn't numb their gums, there would be this constant moaning from
your freezer, resulting in detection and probable elimination.

"DerbyDad03" eznet.net> wrote in message
news:c7ef4862-d840-4392-9388-c192490ebba8@n77g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
On Mar 18, 5:20 am, monkey_cart...@yahoo.com wrote:

re: What causes this cube to get smaller in an environment that
appears to stay the same?

Ice Mites - Small, almost invisible creatures with constant teething
problems. By eating the stray ice cubes that end up outside of the
storage bin, they keep their gums numb. It's a survival instinct - if
they didn't numb their gums, there would be this constant moaning from
your freezer, resulting in detection and probable elimination.

On Mar 18, 5:47 am, "Edwin Pawlowski" snet.net> wrote:

The same process keeps your freezer "frost free".