Question

Density involves the amount of a material in a certain volume. When a material changes phases, it changes in density in a predictable way as the amount of material stays the same but the molecules get farther apart or closer together. Water has solid and liquid states that do not follow these predictions of density in the phases of matter.

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

Answer 1

Because the density of water does not act in the same way as other medium it is an anomaly ( meaning it deviates from what is expected.)

This is called an anomalous trend.

Answer 2

The density of a substance in solid phase is greater than the density of it in liquid state and gaseous state. The density of a substance increases with decrease in temperature. One exception is water. Water has maximum density at about 4° C and it decreases between 0° to 4° and then it increases. Thus, water does not follow the general predictions of density in the phases of matter.