how is water changing from one state to another compare with how other substances change?

Answer 1

when water changes from liquid to solid, the solid expands. Other substances would not expand when changing from a liquid to a solid. Water expands because they form hydrogen bonds, these bonds help the water form a very regular pattern that has holes where in liquid would be otherwise occupied by water.

http://www.uwgb.edu/dutchs/PETROLGY/Ice%20Structure.HTM

Answer 2

Water has a large latent heat of fusion.This means that it takes an enormous number of calories to change a gram of water at 0degC to ice and back again. Similarly, water has an enormous heat of vaporization. It takes an enormous number of calories to change a gram of liquid water to steam and back to liquid again.