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Just An Idle Thought. in The AnswerBank: Science
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Just An Idle Thought.

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sandyRoe | 09:23 Mon 13th Jan 2025 | Science
15 Answers

Why does ice float? I know a ninth of it is above the water surface.

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Because ice has a lower density of water

It has lower density than water because the hydrogen bonds to  space out the water molecules.  

Ice, being expanded water, is inevitably lighter per unit volume than water is.

Water has it's maximum density at 4 degrees C. In icy conditions the liquid water in ponds sinks to the bottom so unless it's exceptionally cold there is always water for the fish to swim in.

same reason anything floats, lower density. Eg Iron floats, in mercury. When water freezes it expands (burst pipes etc) anyway that means same about of material in a larger space, thus lower density. Water is unusual in that respect most things expand when they melt not when they freeze.

Fun fact, if you could get an ocean big enough saturn would float on it.

Many things in their solid state are more dense than in their liquid state.  Water is not one of those things, which is lucky: if ice sank in water, the Ice Age would have been even more catastrophic for life than it is already was.  As stated, water has it's maximum density at 4C, which means that fish and other life under the water could carry on living under the ice, rather than being crush by it.

If ice was denser than liquid water, it would sink to the bottom and a pond would freeze from the bottom up rather than creating a layer of ice on the top surface. Ice skating wouldn't be possible unless the whole pond was frozen from top to bottom, and fish would freeze solid in the ice rather than being able to swim around underneath it. Quite probably life as we know it would not have developed.

Isn't god wonderful. :-)

OOps. Ellipsis beat me to it.

I've always thought the proposition that if the icebergs melt it will raise the sea level was specious because if they return to water they will take up less volume.

Like if you freeze a full bottle of water it will break the bottle.

Am I wrong?

Water is about 10% bigger when frozen so you're 90% wrong. If all the ice melted it would still raise sea levels.

 Ice skating wouldn't be possible unless the whole pond was frozen from top to bottom,

 

Every day is a learning day on AB 😂

 

It would be a boon for the scuba skating fraternity though.

Ice cubes melting in a glass of fresh water will not change the level in that glass.

Fresh water is less dense than salty water and icebergs are made from fresh water.

That means that when the icebergs melt in salty sea water, the volume of water increases and the level rises.

btw - if we are talking about icebergs they float in sea water which is denser than pure water due to it's salt content.

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