If ice is just frozen water, and water has a density of 1, why does the ice float on water?

Answer 1

Mainly because the molecule becomes nearly linear in configuration after it freezes, while the water remains at a triangular configuration, making them 2 seperate states coexisting in one atmosphere.

Answer 2

The density of water changes with temperature. Water at room temperature has a density of about 1...it is really around 0.9997 or something close. When water freezes, the crystalline arrangement of water molecules is actually farther apart than the configuration formed by the hydrogen bonding...thus giving frozen water a lower density and allowing it to float on liquid water.

Answer 3

Water has a density of approximately 1. It's density changes with temperature and actually is maximum around +4 C.
Ice floats because it has lower density (the way water molecules interact with each other, ie hydrogen bonding, allows higher density when they are in the liquid state)

Answer 4

Water reaches its maximum density at 4°C (40°F). As it cools further and freezes into ice, it actually becomes less dense. On the other hand, most substances are most dense in their solid (frozen) state than in their liquid state. Water is different because of hydrogen bonding.

Answer 5

When water freezes, the molecules arrange themselves in such a way that spreads them out more than when they were a liquid. This means that the molecules aren't as compact, and all their mass is spread out over a larger volume.

Since density is mass over volume, and this mass occupies a larger volume, the density has gone down.

Since ice, therefore, is less dense than water, it floats.

Answer 6

Ice is solid water. Due to the anomalies of water solid water is less dense then liquid water (this is because of hydrogen bonds). Ice has a density of 0.92 g/ml. Water is one of the few substance whose volume actually increase when they freeze (ammonia is another for example)

Answer 7

Because when water becames ice the density of water is less than in begin, as u can see (i.e.) in a bottle, where the iced water occupies more space than before. (sorry for my English)

Answer 8

The first answer is correct, but I thought you'd enjoy the idea that if you freeze "heavy water" it will not float!

Heavy water is made from deuterium (an isotope of hydrogen).

Just a fun fact!

Answer 9

ice is lighter in weight from water so _______________