2007-11-02 08:12:48 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
Water reaches it's maximum density at about 4°C. Below that it begins to expand again. Less dense means that it will displace more water than it contains giving it a net buoyant force greater than it's weight, so it floats.
2007-11-02 08:19:05 · answer #1 · answered by chasrmck 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Jangel,
not all ice floats, that is a misconception.
most ice floats because a volume of ice displaces more water than it holds, as in the very first answer.
However, years and years ago, a gentleman froze ice and called members of the learned sciences together to announce he had found ice that would sink.
he produced a bowl of water and put the ice into it. It sank.
the learned men of science rushed forward and examined the ice. It was water.
So he asked them all why it sank.
they decided it had weights in the ice cubes so he melted some. It was water.
The man then drank it and nothing happened to him.
the man had discovered heavy water proton/neutron and electron in the hydrogen, heavy water.
Now keep this in mind when you approach an issue where someone is telling you something and someone has told you something different.
the application is true of technology, archeology, astronomy and every other human knowledge base.
Just because you can't see it, taste it, or touch it does not mean it does not exist.
we don't know everything yet and probably never will.
remember, think outside the limits of the question and see how marvelous this world is, you will be surprised
go with answer number 1 for the best,
2007-11-02 16:47:47 · answer #2 · answered by magnetic_azimuth 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Water expands at about 4 deg C
so cold water goes to the top of a pond or lake
and the fish and hibernating frogs don't get frozen
water is a little special in this respect
density of ice is not the same as water
that's were your error lies
you can get the approximate value ... 9/10 ths of an iceberg
is under the water (sea-water)
2007-11-02 15:51:54 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
When an ice cube (or an iceberg, which is a big ice cube) floats in water, then by definition the weight of the ice cube is exactly equal to the buoyancy force, which is equal to the weight of the displaced water.
2007-11-02 15:21:22 · answer #4 · answered by Satchmoe 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ice has a density lower than water since water ha a more compact structure due to hydrogen bounding between molecules of water
2007-11-02 15:19:42 · answer #5 · answered by maussy 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋