2006-10-02 08:13:32 · 22 answers · asked by Trimorph S 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
water contracts, like all the "normal substances" as the temperature drops until about +4 degrees celsium (about 39F), but then it starts expanding. So, ice ends up occupying more space then water. That's why ice floats on the water, and does not sink to the bottom.
If it did behave as "normal" substances, it would sink, and all the oceans would freeze down completely, as there would not be a layer of ice on top, concerving the warmth inside, and would never thaw - the length of summer would not be enough to thaw all the ice, and it would build up and up, until there was no liquid water left.
2006-10-02 08:21:58 · answer #1 · answered by n0body 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
To everyone who said that water expands when frozen, you're wrong -- mostly.
As a general rule, all molecules condense (get more tightly packed) when cooled. Water (and some other various liquids, I believe), however, stops condensing and begins expanding at a certain temperature when cooling.
This temperature for water is about 39 or 40 degrees Farenheit (2 degrees Celcius). Physically, I have no idea why this happens, it just does; but I can explain to you why your bottle explodes. If you fill a bottle to near the top with water and set it in the freezer; eventually, the temperature of the water inside will reach 39 degrees (F). The water will then begin to more rapidly expand than it condensed (For every -1 degree of Farenheit, I believe it expands about 1.76 times as much as it condensed, so it will quickly have more volume than the water that you originally put into the freezer.). The water will then expand until the bottle can't hold it anymore, and the bottle will burst.
2006-10-02 08:33:48 · answer #2 · answered by joecoolug 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Cold doesn't make ALL substances contract - it depends on the substance. For most substances this is true; the solid state is more compact than the liquid state. The most notable exception is water, where the crystal structure of ice is a highly ordered lattice and considerably less compact than liquid water. This is why ice floats - the density of ice is 0.92 g/ml, as opposed to 1 g/ml for water. Thus, when you fill a bottle with water and freeze it, it expands slightly, to a size too large for its container, causing it to break.
2006-10-02 08:16:58 · answer #3 · answered by astazangasta 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Yes, when you freeze most substances, they occupy less volume. The solid state of most things is smaller than the liquid state. However with water it occupies more space.
This is due to Hydrogen bonding, a special type of bonding that is special to water (and alcohol and some other stuff).
These bonds are stronger than normal bonds in liquids, and form a rigid crystal (regular) structure, making the molecules in water stand further apart when they are ice, rather than liquid.
As a side note, Hydrogen bonding is also responsible for water not being a gas, the surface tension of water, and is part of our DNA.
2006-10-02 08:53:03 · answer #4 · answered by mattswain124 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Water expands when it turns to ice, so if the liquid contains water the container will burst.
Also, most bottles of liquid are made of glass. Small glass bottles will shatter when they are frozen - has nothing to do with what it inside it. It just that small glass bottles are not thick enough to withstand the stress of being frozen. Glass gets really brittle when it freezes, so it cracks and the bottle falls apart.
2006-10-02 08:23:11 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
When water freezes, it makes crystals that take up more room than their liquid counterparts. The added space of the crystal causes the water to expand and bulge your bottle.
2006-10-02 08:17:29 · answer #6 · answered by Dan B 2 · 4⤊ 0⤋
As temperture drops, molecules will tends to stay in the most stable crystalline structure forms.
For water, the most stable crystalline structure forms is larger in volume than the liquid free state form.
So, it expands and breaks open containers.
2006-10-02 08:15:57 · answer #7 · answered by Just_curious 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
At temperatures below 4degrees liquids start to expand till they reach an approximate of 4 degrees this is called anomalous expansion of water
2006-10-02 08:47:59 · answer #8 · answered by Akshay p 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
water is the exception to the rule it expands ( but only at or below the freezing point ) ( if it was another liquid it wouldn't explode )
2006-10-02 08:15:30 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Bottles filled with, predominantly, water explode. Because, water expands as it freezes.
2006-10-02 08:33:07 · answer #10 · answered by entropy 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋