Explain for a 6th grader why ice cubes float?

Answer 1

For similar reasons why ice bergs float - it has to do with buoyancy and and density and displacement of water and what happens to the molecules when water freezes. It is a bit difficult to explain it in sixth grade terms. These sites may help you.

Answer 2

As water freezes, it's molecules move around, hit each other, and this spreads them out as they freeze into a solid. Any gas gets trapped inside This makes most water ice less dense than the liquid form, so it floats.

It is one of the few liquids that acts this way, and it's very good for us that it does so. Polar bears and the penguin army would be in trouble if it didn't. The Titantic would still be floating, however. Mixed bag, but an important characteristic of slowly frozen water.

Answer 3

The H2O molecule is polar, which ability it has a appropriate and a detrimental area. whilst the water freezes the molecules line up with an oxygen, hydrogen bonding to the hydrogen molecule of it neighbor. This motives the freezeing water molecules to form long, branching chains. those chains soak up greater area than the liquid water, for this reason much less dense, for this reason ice floats. hopes this help Stooleo

Answer 4

when you freeze water into ice cubes, the cubes increase in size.

The size increase is due to the fact that gas bubbles (molacules dislocated to make gas) make the cubes bigger and lighter so that the cubes now float. the water alone is dense pure h2o, with the freezing they add gas and that makes the less dense because of the added ingredent of the gas.

Answer 5

ice has a lower density so it floats

Answer 6

becoz the density of ice is less than water