What are some of the implications of the fact that, unlike most substances, water expands in volume when it freezes?
1 Answer
Life in oceans, lakes and ponds is possible.
Rocks and concrete are broken by freezing.
Explanation:
Water seeps into cracks in rocks and concrete. When the liquid water freezes, the space occupied by the water expands. The ice then splits the rocks apart. This is one of the causes of erosion.
Liquid water freezes on the surface. Because the ice has a greater volume for the same mass ice has a lower density. The ihis means the ice floats on top of the surface of the liquid body of water.
The ice forms and stays on the surface this allows living organisms to survive under the surface of the ice. If ice was denser than liquid water, the ice would form on the bottom of the body of water. The pond would become solid ice and all the living things in the pond would die.
The expansion of water as a solid ( ice) destroys mountains, roads, buildings, and bridges.
The expansion of water as a solid ( ice) preserves life in aquatic environments.
