Question

According to its structure, why do ice floats on water? ( give your answer at least in 50 words)​

Answer 1

The mass per unit volume of a substance is called density (density = mass/volume). As the volume of a substance increases, its density decreases.

Ice floats because it is less dense than water.

1. Water has a density of 1.0 gm/cubic cm.

2. The density of ice is 0.931 gm/cubic cm.

Explanation:

When water freezes into its solid form, the molecules are able to form more stable hydrogen bonds locking them into positions. As the molecules are not moving, they are not able to form as many hydrogen bonds with other water molecules. This leads to ice water molecules not being as close together as in the case of liquid water, thus reducing its density.