Why does ice float?
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Transcript
Why does ice float in your drink? Let's wonder together!
Water can turn into ice when it gets very cold. The ice keeps the same water, but takes up more room.
As water freezes, its tiny bits make a roomy pattern with little spaces. Those spaces make ice lighter for its size.
The water below is heavier for the same size, so it stays lower. The lighter ice cube rests and floats on top.
So that's why ice floats: frozen water takes up more room and is lighter for its size. It stays on top of liquid water!
For grown-ups: the science
Ice floats because frozen water spreads out and is lighter for its size than liquid water.
Most materials become denser when they freeze, but water is unusual. As water molecules freeze, hydrogen bonds hold them in a more open crystal pattern, making ice less dense than liquid water, so it floats.