Why Does Ice Float in Water?

Provided by: TED-Ed |Published on: August 6, 2021

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Synopsis

This brief video describes the unique properties of water molecules and the reason for a less dense solid structure (ice) as compared to the liquid form.
Students will learn about hydrogen bonds, how temperature and kinetic energy affect those hydrogen bonds in water molecules, and the importance of water and floating ice to all life on Earth.

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Subjects: Chemistry, Earth and Space Sciences

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Region: Global

Languages: English

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Teaching Materials

Positives

This video provides nice animations showing how water molecules move at different temperatures and how they bond with other water molecules.
It also does a good job of connecting the importance of less-dense ice for living systems.

Prerequisites

Students should be familiar with some basic chemistry concepts, including atomic structure, polarity, and bonding.

Differentiation & Implementation

This is a great resource to tie into lessons on the water cycle and the amplification of the water cycle due to increases in global temperatures.
It can also be a great transition into how the reduced albedo effect from melting ice caps and glaciers is accelerating climate change, particularly in polar regions.
Teachers can combine this video with the interactive news article Sea Change: How Melting Ice Is Disrupting the World's Oceans to connect what they have learned about ice to climate change impacts.

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Why Does Ice Float in Water?

Synopsis

Teaching Materials

Scientist Reviewed

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