Liquid water is denser than ice due to

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higher surface tension

hydrogen bonding

van der Waals forces

covalent bonding

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This question was previously asked in

UPSC CAPF – 2017

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Liquid water is denser than ice. This anomalous property is due to the unique structure formed by hydrogen bonding. In ice, water molecules form a rigid, open lattice structure (like a hexagonally ordered network) held together by hydrogen bonds. This structure is less compact than the arrangement of molecules in liquid water. In liquid water, while hydrogen bonds still exist, they are constantly breaking and reforming, allowing molecules to pack closer together, thus increasing the density compared to ice.

Hydrogen bonding in water is responsible for several of its anomalous properties, including the fact that solid water (ice) is less dense than liquid water.

Most substances contract and become denser when they solidify. Water expands and becomes less dense when it freezes. This property is crucial for life on Earth, as ice floats on water bodies, insulating the liquid water below and preventing lakes and rivers from freezing solid from the bottom up.

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