Give and explain 2 of the anomalous properties of ice caused by hydrogen bonding

Compared to water ice is less dense this is due to hydrogen bonds in the open lattice holding the H2O molecules apart whereas in liquid form the hydrogen bonds break allowing the molecules of water to be closer together .
Ice also has a relatively high freezing and boiling point due to its hydrogen bonds as they’re stronger than Van der Waals forces therefore more energy is needed to break the hydrogen bonds resulting in higher freezing and boiling points.

MT
Answered by Morgan T. Chemistry tutor

23890 Views

See similar Chemistry A Level tutors

Related Chemistry A Level answers

All answers ▸

What is chirality/optical isomerism?


Could you explain why water has a high latent heat of vapourisation?


How does hydrogen bonding work?


A 1000 cm3 container of ammonia (NH3) has a mass of 20.7g, it is stored at room temperature (298 K). When empty the container has a mass of 20.0 g, calculate the pressure inside the container in kPa to an appropriate number of significant figures.


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning