does water expand when freezing?
02 March 2005, 07:13 PM
#2
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: The poliotical wing of Chip Sengravy.
Posts: 6,129
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Because as the molecules "freeze" they group and become chrystalline in shape. As the chrystals do not properly interlock there is a gap between them, this gap causes the expansion in volume.
Trending Topics
02 March 2005, 07:19 PM
#8
Scooby Regular
Most liquids have a quite simple behaviour when they are cooled (at a fixed pressure): they shrink. The liquid contracts as it is cooled; because the molecules are moving slower they are less able to overcome the attractive intermolecular forces drawing them closer to each other. Then the freezing temperature is reached, and the substance solidifies, which causes it to contract some more because crystalline solids are usually tightly packed.
Water is one of the few exceptions to this behaviour. When liquid water is cooled, it contracts like one would expect until a temperature of approximately 4 degrees Celsius is reached. After that, it expands slightly until it reaches the freezing point, and then when it freezes it expands by approximately 9%.
Pete
Water is one of the few exceptions to this behaviour. When liquid water is cooled, it contracts like one would expect until a temperature of approximately 4 degrees Celsius is reached. After that, it expands slightly until it reaches the freezing point, and then when it freezes it expands by approximately 9%.
Pete
02 March 2005, 07:20 PM
#10
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: None of your business.
Posts: 11,088
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by pslewis
Most liquids have a quite simple behavior when they are cooled (at a fixed pressure): they shrink. The liquid contracts as it is cooled; because the molecules are moving slower they are less able to overcome the attractive intermolecular forces drawing them closer to each other. Then the freezing temperature is reached, and the substance solidifies, which causes it to contract some more because crystalline solids are usually tightly packed.
Water is one of the few exceptions to this behavior. When liquid water is cooled, it contracts like one would expect until a temperature of approximately 4 degrees Celsius is reached. After that, it expands slightly until it reaches the freezing point, and then when it freezes it expands by approximately 9%.
Pete
Water is one of the few exceptions to this behavior. When liquid water is cooled, it contracts like one would expect until a temperature of approximately 4 degrees Celsius is reached. After that, it expands slightly until it reaches the freezing point, and then when it freezes it expands by approximately 9%.
Pete
02 March 2005, 07:26 PM
#16
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: The poliotical wing of Chip Sengravy.
Posts: 6,129
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
After that, it expands slightly until it reaches the freezing point
see post No 2.
02 March 2005, 07:37 PM
#22
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: The poliotical wing of Chip Sengravy.
Posts: 6,129
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
pslewis, look on the the bright side , when MI6 put you into cryogenic storage, what with you being such an "expert" an' all, your shrivvelled up **** will be 9% bigger by volume 
They could freeze you with a *boner* , and wheel you into the nursing home on Wednesday afternoons after bingo, a bit like Han Solo. Help the aged
They could freeze you with a *boner* , and wheel you into the nursing home on Wednesday afternoons after bingo, a bit like Han Solo. Help the aged
02 March 2005, 07:38 PM
#23
Scooby Regular
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Bristol-ish
Posts: 2,085
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hydrogen Bonding 
A-level chemestry lessons told me that when water is liquid, the forces holding all the H20 molecules to one-another are weak van-der-valls forces (or something). Because these forces are weak, there is little attaction or retardation between molecules.
When water solidifies and becomes crystaline, hydrogen-bonds hold the molecules in a rigid structure. Hydrogen bonds are special, and are very strong. However, their strength also repells the individual molecules, hence the crystaline form of H20 (ice) is less dense than the liquid (water).
Apparently, water is pretty unique in that the solid is less dense than the liquid - but it's vital for life on earth, otherwise ice would sink and ponds would be full of frozen stuff during the winter.....
I could be wrong, but that's how I always understood it (and got a D).
A-level chemestry lessons told me that when water is liquid, the forces holding all the H20 molecules to one-another are weak van-der-valls forces (or something). Because these forces are weak, there is little attaction or retardation between molecules.
When water solidifies and becomes crystaline, hydrogen-bonds hold the molecules in a rigid structure. Hydrogen bonds are special, and are very strong. However, their strength also repells the individual molecules, hence the crystaline form of H20 (ice) is less dense than the liquid (water).
Apparently, water is pretty unique in that the solid is less dense than the liquid - but it's vital for life on earth, otherwise ice would sink and ponds would be full of frozen stuff during the winter.....
I could be wrong, but that's how I always understood it (and got a D).
02 March 2005, 07:41 PM
#24
Scooby Regular
Originally Posted by mj
pslewis, look on the the bright side , when MI6 put you into cryogenic storage, what with you being such an "expert" an' all, your shrivvelled up **** will be 9% bigger by volume
They could freeze you with a *boner* , and wheel you into the nursing home on Wednesday afternoons after bingo, a bit like Han Solo. Help the aged
They could freeze you with a *boner* , and wheel you into the nursing home on Wednesday afternoons after bingo, a bit like Han Solo. Help the aged
03 March 2005, 03:45 PM
#25
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 39,877
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I seem to remember being taught that when water freezes initially it increases in volume. As it is cooled further though it will start to contract in volume again from the volume it reached as it froze in the first place.
Les
Les
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Mattybr5@MB Developments
Full Cars Breaking For Spares
28
28 December 2015 11:07 PM
Mattybr5@MB Developments
Full Cars Breaking For Spares
12
18 November 2015 07:03 AM
Pro-Line Motorsport
Car Parts For Sale
2
29 September 2015 07:36 PM