Question

Can someone please Help me!! Ice cubes float in a glass of water because...

a. Liquid water is less dense than the ice cubes.
b. The molecules of ice are arranged in an orderly way so there is an unusually large amount of empty space in the ice cubes.
c. The ice is losing mass through the melting process.
d. The colder ice is more dense.

Answer 1

Ice cubes float on water because their lattice structure, thanks to hydrogen bonding, makes them less dense than liquid water, enabling them to remain on the surface.

Step-by-step explanation:

Ice cubes float in a glass of water because the molecules of ice are arranged in an orderly lattice structure, which creates an unusually large amount of empty space between them. This structure is due to hydrogen bonding and results in ice being less dense than liquid water.

Since a substance with lower density will float on a substance with higher density, ice floats on water. Water is most dense at about 4°C; below this temperature, as water becomes solid (ice), it expands, making the solid form of water (ice) one of the few substances that is less dense than its liquid counterpart.

It's important to note that this characteristic of water has significant ecological implications. In bodies of water such as lakes and ponds, ice forms on the surface, providing insulation and allowing aquatic life to survive beneath the frozen layer during winter months.

Answer 2

The answer is b, because solid water is less dense than liquid water and that is why it floats. This property of water is due to hydrogen bonds between the water molecules because in ice, the regular pattern of hydrogen bonds pushes the molecules further apart leaving a lot of empty space between the water molecules.