Key Stage 3
Meaning
The Ice-Water Anomaly is the observation that water in its solid state is less dense than water in its liquid state.
About the Ice-Water Anomaly
- For most substances the solid state is more dense than the liquid state. However, this is not the case for water.
- In liquid water the molecules are randomly arranged and close together. In solid water the molecules align with their Hydrogen atoms touching the Oxygen atoms of adjacent molecules.
The same number of molecules takes up a larger volume in solid water, so Ice is less dense than liquid water. |