Question

Liquids generally have a lower density as compared to solids. But you must have observed that ice floats on water. Find out why.

Answer 1

Ices float on water:-

• Liquids generally have lower density as compared to solids but in the case of ice, it is not true.
• When water is in liquid form it has strong hydrogen bonding between its molecules.
• But as it freezes into ice, the hydrogen bonds now formed, allow the molecules to be spaced further apart by locking them into fixed positions.
• This makes them take up more space.
• This results in an increase in the volume of the ice.
• And we know that density is the mass of the object divided by its volume.
• So more the volume of the substance is lesser will be the density.
• This is why ice has less density than water and hence it floats.