Final answer:
The water level in a glass will stay the same when an ice cube melts because the melting ice turns into an equivalent volume of water, matching the volume it displaced when frozen, based on the principle of buoyancy and water's density properties.
Step-by-step explanation:
Will the Water Overflow When the Ice Melts?
When an ice cube floating in a glass of water melts, the water level will stay the same, it will not rise or fall. This phenomenon can be explained by the principle of buoyancy and the fact that water reaches its maximum density at 4°C. When ice is floating in water, it displaces a volume of water that weighs exactly the same as the ice itself. Since ice is less dense than water, the volume of water produced by the melting ice will be exactly equal to the volume of water originally displaced by the ice cube. Therefore, no overflow occurs when the ice cube melts. This is in accordance with the Archimedes' principle, which states that a body immersed in a fluid experiences a buoyant force equal to the weight of the fluid it displaces. Moreover, the fact that water has its maximum density at 4°C and that ice is less dense than liquid water means that, upon melting, ice converts into a smaller volume of water, precisely matching the space it occupied as solid ice.