How Much Ice Is Needed to Perfectly Cool a 12-Pack, Scientifically Proven
Science may not be the first thing you think of when filling your ice crate at a picnic, but studying physics can help you chill a 12-pack of drinks to frosty perfection.
Nothing beats the heat on a hot summer day like a cold drink, and you need to make sure those cold drinks are as cold as possible. Warm beer or soda isn’t all that refreshing. To help you avoid this fate, Rhett Allen, author of Geek Physics: Surprising Answers to the Planet’s Most Interesting Questions , used standard physics to find the ideal amount of ice to cool your drinks:
Let’s say ice gets 60 percent of its energy from things other than drinks. In this case, I would need 250 grams of ice per drink, or 1.5 kg for a six-drink package and 3 kg for a twelve-drink package. What if I think about it differently? Suppose I don’t quantify the ice and buy a 10 lb (4.5 kg) bag of ice? How many drinks could you cool? Using the same calculations as above, I get eighteen drinks. So what’s the answer? I think I would recommend one 10-pound bag for every twelve drinks . This way, not all of the ice will melt and you can keep your drinks cool for longer.
It might sound like a lot of ice, but it takes a long time for drinks to stay cool, especially if it’s hot outside. If you don’t need your drinks to be exactly to the freezing point, you could probably do just fine with two 10-pound ice packs for every three packs of 12 or 36 drinks. All of the physics and math equations that Allen used to determine the answer are interesting reading and can be found at the Business Insider link below.
Here’s How Much Ice You Need to Chill Beer According to Math | Business Insider