When water freezes, by what percent does it's volume decrease?

Answer 1

Maybe I'm getting old and forgetful but every time I've ever filled a glass bottle with water and froze it the bottle cracked or broke. That's pretty good evidence that the water's volume increased.

Answer 2

Here is a quote from Wikipedia.

"An unusual fact of ice frozen at a pressure of one atmosphere is that the solid is some 8% less dense than liquid water. "

The volume increases when it freezes. For water to loose 8% of the density and the mass is the same, then the volume must increase by 8%.

Answer 3

You are correct, water freezing both contracts in volume and expands in volume. On inital freeze it expands, then it contracts at about 1% of its original volume near the 50degree C below zero point.

Answer 4

Water behaves differently than most other liquids. When it freezes it expands by approximately 9%.