Ice - and its powers

[arkain101]

I have read around that it is not well known how and why water expands when it freezes and turns to a solid form (ice).

I was messing around with ice in my oil-water experiment and noticed that first of all, ice is less dense than water or probably better explained as more boyant. I noticed that when ice melts it releases tons of gas. So it appears that water takes on gas from the atmosphere when it freezes. This could explain the boyancy and powerful expansion as its molecular energy slows down.

I am wondering if there has been tests in vacumes to freeze water in order to see if it had any difference in the structure or process in which it freezes, if it does freeze at all?

When it does freeze it has alot of strength when it expands.

So does anyone know how much is know about water freezing?

[infamous]

Originally Posted by arkain101

So does anyone know how much is know about water freezing?

Water can take on many crystaline forms when it freezes and these crystaline forms are not as tightly packed together as liquid water is. Water is therefore denser than ice and per equal volume weighs more than ice.

[Jay-qu]

Originally Posted by arkain101

I have read around that it is not well known how and why water expands when it freezes and turns to a solid form (ice).

I thought it was well known...

As the temperature drops the kinetic energy of the individual H2O molecules slow down, when they are going slower it is easier to form stronger inter-molecular links via hydrogen bonding.
Because of the shape of the water molecule and how hydrogen bonding works - the delta +ve hydrogen is atracted to the delta -ve oxygen of other molecules - a lattice is formed. When the lattice is formed the structure is more ridgid and so it becomes solid. This lattice structure takes up more space than the jumbled up water molecules when unfrozen and hence the liquid expands upon freezing.