{"id":89278,"date":"2025-06-01T10:00:29","date_gmt":"2025-06-01T10:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com\/mcq\/?p=89278"},"modified":"2025-06-01T10:00:29","modified_gmt":"2025-06-01T10:00:29","slug":"ice-is-lighter-than-pure-water-and-floats-on-the-surface-which-one-of","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com\/mcq\/ice-is-lighter-than-pure-water-and-floats-on-the-surface-which-one-of\/","title":{"rendered":"Ice is lighter than pure water and floats on the surface. Which one of"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ice is lighter than pure water and floats on the surface. Which one of the following statements is correct to explain this phenomenon ?<\/p>\n

[amp_mcq option1=”The structure of ice is similar to that of water” option2=”Ice has a disordered 3-dimensional structure” option3=”Hydrogen-bonding in ice gives an open type structure with interstitial holes” option4=”There is no hydrogen bonding in water” correct=”option3″]<\/p>\n

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This question was previously asked in<\/div>\n
UPSC CAPF – 2010<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Download PDF<\/a>Attempt Online<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\nThe correct statement explaining why ice is lighter than pure water is that hydrogen-bonding in ice gives an open type structure with interstitial holes.
\n<\/section>\n
\nIn the solid state (ice), water molecules are held in a crystalline structure by hydrogen bonds. This structure is an open lattice containing hexagonal rings, with significant empty space or “interstitial holes” between the molecules. In the liquid state (water), although hydrogen bonds are still present and constantly breaking and reforming, the structure is less ordered and more compact than ice. As a result, a given mass of ice occupies a larger volume than the same mass of liquid water at the same temperature, leading to ice having a lower density and thus floating on water.
\n<\/section>\n
\nMost substances become denser in the solid state than in the liquid state. Water is unusual in this regard, exhibiting anomalous expansion (or contraction) upon melting or freezing. The density of water is maximum at 4\u00b0C. This property is crucial for aquatic life in cold climates, as ice forms on the surface, insulating the water below.
\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ice is lighter than pure water and floats on the surface. Which one of the following statements is correct to explain this phenomenon ? [amp_mcq option1=”The structure of ice is similar to that of water” option2=”Ice has a disordered 3-dimensional structure” option3=”Hydrogen-bonding in ice gives an open type structure with interstitial holes” option4=”There is no … <\/p>\n

Detailed SolutionIce is lighter than pure water and floats on the surface. Which one of<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1085],"tags":[1464,1096,1161],"class_list":["post-89278","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-upsc-capf","tag-1464","tag-chemistry","tag-hydrogen-and-its-compounds","no-featured-image-padding"],"yoast_head":"\nIce is lighter than pure water and floats on the surface. Which one of<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The correct statement explaining why ice is lighter than pure water is that hydrogen-bonding in ice gives an open type structure with interstitial holes. In the solid state (ice), water molecules are held in a crystalline structure by hydrogen bonds. This structure is an open lattice containing hexagonal rings, with significant empty space or "interstitial holes" between the molecules. In the liquid state (water), although hydrogen bonds are still present and constantly breaking and reforming, the structure is less ordered and more compact than ice. As a result, a given mass of ice occupies a larger volume than the same mass of liquid water at the same temperature, leading to ice having a lower density and thus floating on water.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com\/mcq\/ice-is-lighter-than-pure-water-and-floats-on-the-surface-which-one-of\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ice is lighter than pure water and floats on the surface. Which one of\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The correct statement explaining why ice is lighter than pure water is that hydrogen-bonding in ice gives an open type structure with interstitial holes. In the solid state (ice), water molecules are held in a crystalline structure by hydrogen bonds. This structure is an open lattice containing hexagonal rings, with significant empty space or "interstitial holes" between the molecules. In the liquid state (water), although hydrogen bonds are still present and constantly breaking and reforming, the structure is less ordered and more compact than ice. As a result, a given mass of ice occupies a larger volume than the same mass of liquid water at the same temperature, leading to ice having a lower density and thus floating on water.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/exam.pscnotes.com\/mcq\/ice-is-lighter-than-pure-water-and-floats-on-the-surface-which-one-of\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"MCQ and Quiz for Exams\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-06-01T10:00:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"rawan239\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"rawan239\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"1 minute\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Ice is lighter than pure water and floats on the surface. 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