What would happen if the ice would not float in the water?

Question

The water is the only exception to a rule. All the solids sink in their liquids.

MIguel: Yes, the Hydrogen bond is the cause. Im think that this weak bond is the most important thing the life need. Jelli was right about the destruction of some life.

Answer 1

If ice sank, ponds, rivers and such would freeze and the ice would sink to the bottom, exposing more liquid water to be frozen at the surface => the entire pond/lake/river/ocean would freeze solid!

If all water was frozen solid, no macroscopic organisms living in the water could survive, which means maybe life would've stayed mostly unicellular. Or maybe everything would be like a sponge - capable of re-forming itself after getting stuck in a blender.

Answer 2

Your question ain't very clear, but I'll do my best to answer you. Ice (Water in its solid form) doesn't sink in water because, unlike other normal substances, its density decreases when it's in solid form. Density is the amount of mass per volume, and it determines if an object will sink or not in a specific liquid. If the object's density is higher than that of the liquid, the object will sink. If it's lower, the object will float.

So, water in its solid form has less density than its liquid form. That's because the water's molecules form hydrogen bonds between each other, 4 to be precise, and thus they need to expand to accommodate all those bonds, thus decreasing ice's density. So, that's why ice floats on water, because Ice (Water in its solid form), has less density than water in its liquid form.

Answer 3

Water is not the only exception. Silicon dioxide, and silicon and germanium as elements, are also exceptions.

If ice sank, oceans would freeze from the bottom.

Answer 4

I'll be able to drink the soda with out the annoying ice touching my nose

Answer 5

People would most likely think it was cool until scientists told them is was violating the laws of physics and make them panic.