SOLID WATER IS

LESS DENSE, AND

IN FACT FLOATS
ON LIQUID
WATER
DEFINITION OF TERMS
DENSITY – A measure of the
amount of matter contained
by a given volume.
DISCUSSION OF THE CONCEPT
• Ice is less dense than water
because the orientation of the
hydrogen bonds causes
molecules to push farther apart,
which lowers the overall density
since density is mass over
volume.
DISCUSSION OF THE CONCEPT

• The water expands slightly,

about 9%, as it solidifies.
DISCUSSION OF THE CONCEPT
• Temperature and density share
an inverse relationship. As
temperature increases, the
space between water molecules
increases—also known as
density, which therefore
decreases.
DISCUSSION OF THE CONCEPT
• At a temperature of 4° C pure
water reaches its maximum or
peak density, cooled further it
expands and becomes less
dense than the surrounding
water which is why when water
freezes at 0° C it floats.