Why does ice float on water?

Water has strong intermolecular hydrogen bonds that hold the water molecules close together, making it very dense. As water freezes, the hydrogen bonds move further apart as it forms a hexagonal lattice. This means that ice contains fewer molecules per unit area and therefore making it less dense than water. This allows the solid to float on liquid water.

NR

Related Chemistry A Level answers

All answers ▸

What is Le Chatelier's principle?


What are the differences between covalent and ionic bonding?


Explain, in the context of catalysis, the term heterogeneous and describe the first stage in the mechanism of this type of catalysis.


You have 3.51g of hydrated zinc sulphate. You heat up the zinc sulphate until all the water has evaporated from it. The weight after heating is 1.97g. Find how many H2O molecules per zinc sulphate molecule there are in the hydrated form of it.