Answer to Question #113881 in General Chemistry for Jose

Question

Why is ice less dense than liquid water? *

Ice has a greater mass than it does volume

Ice has a greater volume than it does mass

Ice is a solid and therefore less dense

Ice is lighter than liquid water


What type of bonding holds water molecules together tightly? *

Ionic bonds
Covalent bonds
Hydrogen bonds
Disulfide bonds

Answer 1

1. Ice has a greater volume than it does mass.

Freeze water molecules form a crystalline structure due to the formation of multiple accurately oriented hydrogen bonds. The orientation of bonds causes molecules to push farther apart. As a result, ice has a greater volume than mass resulting in the lower density compared to the density of liquid water.

2. Hydrogen bonds hold water molecules together tightly.

Hydrogen bonds are formed between polar water molecules that possess positive charge (hydrogen) and negative charge (oxygen) due to high electronegativity of the oxygen atom. This leads to the formation of multiple weak electrostatic attractions between water molecules called hydrogen bonds.