Is water the only liquid to expand when it freezes and why does it do that?

Answer 1

because of its polar characteristics, water exhibits hydrogen bonding, which only occurs in molecules with a large difference in electronegativity between the bonded atoms, thereby polarising it.
Hydrogen bonding, during a change of state from the liquid to the solid form, causes the geometry of the bonds to spread out, increasing its volume, thereby decreasing its density.

Water isnt the only liquid, any polar liquid will (i think),

Answer 2

It is not the only liquid. It expands because it's molecules are polar (have a charge). Other polar substances will exapand as well when they freeze. When water is warm the molecules are moving around more quickly than when it is cool. When water approaches its freezing point, the forces between the molecules arrange them into a lattice-like structure. This structure takes up more space than the freely moving water molecules. For this reason water expands when it freezes.

Answer 3

the reason water expands when it freezes is because it is a bent, polar molecule, water molecules have a kind of v shape. when it is a liquid the water molecules have enough energy to slide past each other however in its solid they do not. the ends of the v have a positive charge and the bottom of the v has a negative charge, the best way for them to stack in a solid with these charges arranged properly requires a great deal of space causing them to expand. i see no reason why other bent polar molecules would not expand as they cool.

Answer 4

An unusual property of ice frozen at a pressure of one atmosphere is that the solid is some 8% less dense than liquid water. Water is the only known non-metallic substance to expand when it freezes.
Ice has a density of 0.9167 g/cm³ at 0 °C, whereas water has a density of 0.9998 g/cm³ at the same temperature. Liquid water is most dense, essentially 1.00 g/cm³, at 4 °C and becomes less dense as the water molecules begin to form the hexagonal crystals of ice as the temperature drops to 0 °C

Answer 5

Water IS not the only substance with this unusual property but, it's most common.
When water is cooling below 4°C (its maximum density temp.), it just begins to form the 'Crystal Lattice' structure that it will become when frozen solid. The forming of the lattice structure actually moves the molecules further apart instead of closer as would be normal in Contraction. The 'opening up' of the molecular structure increases the volume (Expansion), and therefore, decreases the density.

Answer 6

It's all to do with the hydrogen bonding between H2O molecules as the H atoms on one molecule are attracted to the O atoms on another. These intermolecular bonds open up slightly when water freezes, meaning the molecules are held further away from each other, therefore the volume is increased.

Answer 7

Hydrochloric acid [aq] would expand as well at freezing point

Answer 8

no its not why do you think sodas burst when you put them in the freezer and forget about them