why does water increase it's volume when it turns to ice?

Question

Like when you put a bottle in your refrigerator and the water gets frozen the shape of the bottle will change,even if no air gets in?
I have anexplanation...but i figured it out on my own so i don't know if it's right(i am trying to find an explanation from scratch for "why does ice float")

P.S i already know that it floats because it is less dense than water.doh

uhm...what site?

Answer 1

The water molecule is triangle shaped with the O atom in the middle. The two H-O bonds make an angle of ~106 degrees with each other. The molecule is also polar, with a positive charge towards the H's.

In liquid form, and at reasonably high temperature, the kinetic energy of the molecules is large enough to over come the mutual attraction and repulsion between the molecules, so they tend to pack closer. In the solid state, the O atoms of one molecule tend to sit close to the H atoms of surrounding molecules, using up much more space (intermolecular distance).

Solid water (ice) is therefore less dense than liquid water at higher temperatures. The density is maximum at ~ 4degrees C. The molecules tend to form more regular arrangements below this temperature, where the kinetic energy is sufficiently reduced.

Answer 2

Try this website on why does the water expand as it turns to ice.

Since the ice is now less dense than water it will float on the water. The weigh of the ice is equal to the water displaced.

This is called the law of buoyancy, discovered by Archimedes, and basically
says:
any material or object immersed in a fluid will tend to rise through the
fluid if the fluid density is greater than the material density. The force
associated with buoyancy is the difference between the weight of the
displaced fluid and the weight of the immersed material.

Density is the amount of and object (weight or mass) there is an a given
volume (the amount of water the object displaces).

So objects which weigh a lot and don't displace much water (have a low
volume) will sink, while objects which are light and displace a lot of water
will float.

The relationship, then is how well the object will float. If it floats, it
is less dense than water, and if it sinks it is more dense than water. So ice floats.

Answer 3

Water is unusual in the sense that it is one of the few chemicals that expands as it freezes.

As you cool water, it contracts until you pass approximately 40 degrees (4 C), then it starts to expand, and it expands as it freezes.

This is why the ice in your freezer expands the bottle a little, and it is why it's big, big problems if your coolant in your car freezes (from old or inadequate antifreeze), it can expand and crack the engine block. It's also why ice floats, the ice has expanded and is slightly less dense than the cold water in which it floats.

Answer 4

It's because of the hydrogen bond in water varies with change of temperatures, and the bond effects the molar volume of water.
The minimum molar volume of water is at abt. 4 degrees C.
Ice floats in water because its density is less than water. But theoretically Ice at abt -2 degrees C will not 100% float in a 80 C water.

Answer 5

It is an inherent property of water. In this range its temperature coefficient is negative. Normally volume decreases when you lower temp. But in this case volume increases. [We may find some logical reason if we examine inter-molecular structure] However this property saves lives millions of marine creatures in sea when temperature goes down to zero levels. The water on top turns to ice. The lower levels temperature is OK for animals to live in sea. Otherwise all these would freeze.

Answer 6

the molecular geometry of solid H2O is larger than that of liquid H2O, and will thus form a larger structure. from this, u can infer that solid H2O is less dense, since the same amount of matter is taking up more space. And, of course, since ice is less dense than water, it will float!

Answer 7

in ice form water forms almost a crystal structure that takes up more space than the liquid form it takes.

Answer 8

water is liquid, and liquids have loosely packed molecules compared to solid. And since the water turns to ice, the molecules get reaaly close to each other epanding the body it posses and its volume.