When winter comes around, people inevitably end up wondering why ice can be so slippery. The answer to that question, however, is still not under consensus. A popular theory is that of pressure melting, where the amount of pressure allows for the ice to melt below the freezing point or around -3.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Nonetheless, this does not explain the conditions of slippery ice below -3.5 degrees Fahrenheit (such as when ice skaters, hockey players, or ski and snowboarders go out in colder weather). So an alternative theory of friction melting, where the frictional heating caused by the conductivity from material surfaces melts a layer of ice. Pressure melting only seemed to account for conditions near the melting point. Even with both explanations of pressure melting and friction melting, it does not explain the situation of slippery ice when stationary when conditions are below the freezing point. A famous physicist, Michael Faraday, theorized that a layer of water will freeze when in contact between two layers of ice, but the layer will remain liquid when left only one ice layer. So there is no doubt that with a range of different variables, factors, and theories that depend on how or why ice becomes such a slippery substance. it is difficult to say what is the best method for safely walking on ice. For everyone out there traveling on ice and snow, stay safe!