Question

Why ice is less dense as a solid than as a liquid?

why is this property so important for the fish and other wildlife that live in the lakes and ponds of indiana

Answer 1

1. When water freezes, water molecules forms a crystalline structure maintained by hydrogen bonds, solid water or ice is less dense than liquid water. Ice is less dense because the orientation of hydrogen bonds causes molecules to push farther apart which lowers the density, that is, in liquid form the water has 3 hydrogen bonds that gives a disordered structure due to this disordered structure there is breaking and formation of hydrogen bonds due to 3 hydrogen bonds the structure squeezes more tightly forming a dense liquid moreover in ice there are 4 hydrogen bonds as the hydrogen bonds are longer than covalent bonds in the one H₂O molecule that is in H-O-H so the molecules are not packed closely but they have spaces present in the ice structures more than the liquid structure giving a more volume for the given mass of water. So the density of ice is less than water.

2. Since ice is less dense than liquid therefore it floats on water creating an insulating layer which keeps the average temperature beneath the ice well above zero degree Celsius this allows organisms to survive winters deep below the sea level without being exposed to cold temperatures above.