Question

Which of the following are consequences of water expanding when it freezes?

Select all that apply:
a Living cells have a tendency to burst when they freeze.
b Hydrogen bonds break when water goes from a liquid to a solid state.
c Ice forms on the surface of bodies of water and remains there, insulating the water below from the cold.
d The bond angle in water changes from 105∘ to 120∘

Answer 1

When water freezes, living cells can burst, and ice insulates water below allowing aquatic life to survive, but hydrogen bonds do not break and the bond angle does not significantly change.

Step-by-step explanation:

The consequences of water expanding when it freezes include the following:

• Living cells have a tendency to burst when they freeze due to the expansion of water when it forms ice crystals, resulting in damage to biological cells.
• Ice forms on the surface of bodies of water and remains there, insulating the water below from the cold, which helps aquatic life survive in cold climates.

However, the statement that hydrogen bonds break when water goes from a liquid to a solid state is not correct. Instead, the hydrogen bonds become more rigid and form a crystalline lattice, which is responsible for the lower density of ice compared to liquid water. Likewise, the assertion that the bond angle in water changes from 105° to 120° when it freezes is incorrect; the bond angle remains roughly the same, but the molecules are arranged in a crystalline structure with gaps that make ice less dense.