Why does ice take up more mass than water?

Question

According to the particle theory, particles in solid objects are more closely packed than particles in a liquid. Then why does water, in its solid state as ice take up more mass than water in its liquid state? Just a curiosity thing.

Answer 1

i didn't get exactly what you mean but i'm going to answer what i understand :)

for the same volume of the two phases (ice and water) mass of the ice is less than mass of the water. this is due to the difference of their densities (~0.9g/cm3 and ~1g/cm3 respectively). so we can say that water expands as it freezes. "water molecules form hexagonal crystals of ice" and "they line up less efficiently" compared to water. this is the reason to expansion.

hope this is the answer to your question :)

Answer 2

final evening in Sioux city they had a Presidential Nominee debate. Years in the past the tip of an ice cap ended up stunning there. It has earlier receded yet have the Oceans risen? How some distance is the ice cap from that spot? All that ice long previous and yet there continues to be uncovered land mass? and how come all that Ice melted without the vehicle and factories and Al Gore? It became into as quickly as predicted that if the present value of world warming keeps huge apple would be decrease than water by potential of 1999. purely because of fact an acorn hits you on the top does not symbolize that the finished sky is going to fall.

Answer 3

i think it's something that only happens for ice, no other compound.

"The normal pattern for most compounds is that as the temperature of the liquid increases, the density decreases as the molecules spread out from each other. As the temperature decreases, the density increases as the molecules become more closely packed. This pattern does not hold true for ice as the exact opposite occurs.

In liquid water each molecule is hydrogen bonded to approximately 3.4 other water molecules. In ice each each molecule is hydrogen bonded to 4 other molecules.

Compare the structures of Liquid Water and Solid Ice. Notice the empty spaces within the ice structure, as this translates to a more open or expanded structure. The ice structure takes up more volume than the liquid water molecules, hence ice is less dense than liquid water." (see source)

Answer 4

While it is true that when a liquid freezes into a solid it is pack more tightly resulting a higher density, water is the exception. Ice formation creates a greater volume but yields a lower density. An example would be a hollow ball.

That is why ice float in your soda.

Answer 5

Some metals also expand in there solid state ...but apart from that water has some very interesting properties which makes for amazing crystal structures when frozen depending also on environment....In the periodic table some metals are liquid when others beside them are solid ..

Answer 6

Liquid is more lil more far away from being compact. Sense, Liquid moves in all directions right? Because of that they are being strectched. Ice is a solid like you said they are compact, sense ice is solid and compact they are more concentrated to certain degree.

Answer 7

actually it doesn't. the mass is just spread out in a different way but it is still the same mass. law of conservation of mass is the answer to this question. Ninth grade IPC

Answer 8

Ice crystallises as it freezes, which stretches out the molecular structure.

Answer 9

Because ice is denser than water, and therefore, one cubic inch of ice would weigh more than one cubic inch of water.

This is obvious, but its what we have Yahoo! Answers for!

Answer 10

Because the molicules of water (H2O) seperate and expand.