Why ice is white sometimes while the water is transparent?

Answer 1

Ice isn't white. In ice there is a lot of air, and therfore a lot of air/water interfaces. At some of these interfaces the light is reflected; a light beam is usually reflected several times. The light, which has not changed colour, exits the snow in every direction (although the light intensity though the snow is much lower than the directly reflected light). This is interpreted by your eyes as a "white colour".
(In science-speak: The incoming light undergoes multiple scattering at the interfaces between media with a low and a high dielectic constant. The diffuse multiple scattered light exits the snow unaltered which is interpreted as white light)

Answer 2

Large blocks of ice absorb light from the visible spectrum, preferentially absorbing from the
red end of the spectrum so thicker volumes of ice will let blue light through. Thus the ice
will have the color blue. Also, the purer the water that is used in making the ice, the more
pronounced the blue color will be. Man- made artificial ice will not be as bluish in color
because of impurities. I hope that this is helpful.

Answer 3

There are ways to produce ice that appears to be virtually transparent, but Bob S' answer is correct for most ice (particularly the one you can produce in your own freezer) - trapped air.

Answer 4

Ice polarises light and gets its white colour but water can't do so.

Answer 5

Ice is solid and its refractory index is more than that of water.

Answer 6

This will 100% solve your problem.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice

Answer 7

because when water is freezed it doesn't remane transparent and it become's white.

Answer 8

due to change in densities of the water and air interfaces ...

Answer 9

the air disrupts your view to the other side

Answer 10

it depends on the presence of impurities..