Question

In the above experiment, the wire moves through the ice slab. However, the ice slab does not break. Why?

Answer 1

The thin wire with two equal weights attached to its ends presses against the ice below it when it is hung over the block. As a result, some ice melts, and the melting point of the ice beneath the wire is lowered. The wire travels through the resulting water. The water above the wire refreezes because it is no longer under pressure. The ice below the wire melts once more, allowing the wire to pass through it, and so on. In this way, the wire cuts straight through the ice block, leaving it intact because of the alternating melting of ice and refreezing of water.