Ice should not float, should it?

Question

According to the fundamental laws of physics: As it warms it expands. As it cools it contracts.

Since ice is cooler than water, shouldnt it be more dense and sink?

Of course this would render our world "uninhabitable" with lakes and rivers frozen solid from bottom to top. What other substance expands as it cools? Is this evidence of intelligent design?

Answer 1

Water actually starts to become less dense, as its temperature drops below 4°C. This is due to hydrogen bonding.

"Is this evidence of intelligent design?"

No.

Answer 2

Yes, this is one of those little things that make life possible.  The only way the atheists have to get around such amazing coincidences is to assume the multiple universe concept.  

Answer 3

First of all, no- there is no evidence for "intelligent design," because it's not a scientific theory, it's a dogma disguised as science.  

If a liter of water is frozen, thus expanding its size, it's density shrinks, since density is mass divided by volume.  So no sinking ice, no bottom-up ice lakes.

Wikipedia explains why ice grows larger than the water forming it:  "This is due to hydrogen bonds forming between the water molecules, which line up molecules less efficiently (in terms of volume) when water is frozen. The result of this is that ice floats on liquid water"

This isn't of course to say that there is no "creator," but it certainly cannot be considered useful proof.  As scientists learn more about quantum physics, they will explain other phenomena that we laymen consider magical.  Teleportation and invisibility are two somewhat recent areas of media-reported experimentation.

Answer 4

Water is a strange chemical, it does not behave like other similar ones. For instance hydrogen selenide (H2Se) or hydrogen sulphide (H2S) boil at around -93 celcius. In addition, water does contract the colder you get it, until just before the very point of freezing. This is because not only do the 2 hydrogen atoms and 1 oxygen atom combine with each other to form a water molecule, but the hydrogen atoms also form weak bonds with the hydrogen atoms in other water molecules. This is why water has surface tension and why water can flow uphill when siphoned. Ice is more voluminous than liquid water because of these hydrogen bonds; they cause the water molecules to line up less efficiently than in other solids, meaning that the volume becomes larger.

Ice does not float because it contains air. It floats because it (like oil for instance) is less dense than water.

This has absolutely nothing to do with intelligent design. If it was, it would be done by magic, not be scientifically verifiable fact.

Answer 5

Ammonia is the only other substance which expands when it freezes.  Water does not expand when it cools, it contracts from 100 C to 4 C - then begins to expand once it falls below 4 C.

Ammonia has the same properties, these are teh only two compounds with the right molecular geometry and electron distribution.  These factors allow hexagonal lattice structure as crystalization takes place, which expands the volume slightly.  This reorganization of the molecules just prior to freezing is what causes the expansion.

Intelligent design?  Naturally.

Edit - it is not trapped air - the inter-lattice distances are too small to encase "air molecules".  The physical property you are dealing with is density, which is an intrinsic property.

Answer 6

Wherever you look there is evidence of Intelligent design.

Answer 7

Edward.. No.. That's not correct.. When water freezes it expands not contracts. Which is why if you have ever filled something with water  and place it in the freezer it explodes.. So no that's incorrect. Now metal on the other hand is a different story.. If you cool a piece of metal it contracts but if you heat it , it expands.. Which is why if you have ever seen someone try to get an old rusty nut lose from a bolt they heat it because the heat expands the metal releasing the grip of the nut from the bolt... So your actually incorrect

Answer 8

it is evidence of the properties of water, not of 'intelligent design' there are air gaps in it as it has a crystalline structure. so it floats.

Answer 9

It's evidence of hydrogen bonding. Liquid water will expand as it gets warmer (salinity makes this a little more complex in seawater, but we'll ignore that). When water freezes it forms into a widely spaced lattice arrangement rather than the random arrangement in liquid water. This lattice arrangement is sufficiently widely spaced to mean that ice is less dense than water.

As per usual, no god is required

Answer 10

You forgot about the air trapped in the water as it freezes into ice.

The same principle keeps a mega-tonned steel battleship afloat.

Answer 11

Ice contains air which makes it less dense than water, therefore it floats.  That is a fundamental law of physics.  You are getting in over your head.

Answer 12

You are forgetting "hydrogen bonding".  Look it up yourself, so you can't say I cheated and sent you to a "loaded" link.  It causes water to expand when cooled below 4°C.

And no, this isn't evidence of intelligent design:  it's an intrinsic property of hydrogen  (which is very small)  and oxygen  (which has an extreme electron fetish).  If it was some other pair of elements that had a weirdy bonding behaviour, then no doubt the world would have organised itself around that instead.

Answer 13

No it's not evidence of an imaginary friend.

It's evidence of the amazing laws of physics and chemistry.  If you really don't understand the reason then go to school and ask a physics or chemistry to teach you.

Answer 14

Oh please!