Question

What does that mean about the densities of the phases of water?

The solid state is the most dense, followed by the liquid state, then the gas state.
The solid state is more dense than the liquid state.
The liquid state is more dense than the solid state.
The gas state is the most dense, followed by the liquid state, then the solid state

Answer 1

The correct description of the phases of water is that the liquid state is more dense than the solid state, with ice being less dense than water, which causes ice to float on water.

Step-by-step explanation:

Densities of the Phases of Water

The phases of water - solid, liquid, and gas - exhibit different densities.

Contrary to most substances, water's solid state (ice) is less dense than its liquid state; this is why ice floats on water.

The density of water is at its maximum at approximately 4°C, and as water is heated or cooled away from this temperature, its density decreases.

Gases are the least dense state of matter because their particles are farthest apart, as with water vapor.

When water transitions from its solid phase to its liquid phase, it is undergoing melting, a process in which the fixed, closely packed arrangement of particles in the solid becomes the more random, but still closely packed, structure of the liquid.

Therefore, the correct statement regarding the densities of the phases of water is: The liquid state is more dense than the solid state.