From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!eagle!mhtsa!alice!npoiv!hou5f!ariel!orion!lime!houti!hogpc!houxm!houxi!hou5d!hou5a!hou5e!ijk
Newsgroups: net.physics
Title: Ice Cubes and the Level of Water
Article-I.D.: hou5e.350
Posted: Fri Apr  8 10:36:06 1983
Received: Sat Apr  9 07:27:01 1983

I am really amazed at the standard answers posted to this problem.  Of course
Archimedes' Principle applies, but what about the other effects?  Water
is densest just above freezing ( I forget exactly where, but it's only
a degree or two, if I remember correctly).  Since the energy of the
phase change is fairly substantial, the water is probably going to
get colder (all of which depends on the relative volumes) by a fair
amount, and thus a bit denser.  Denser water takes up less room (sure
it's a small amount, but that's the correct answer).

Incidentally, that is why bodies of water take so long to freeze - the
water loses heat at the top, it then sinks - so effectively the entire
body must cool to just above freezing.

Have a nice day
Ihor Kinal
hou5e!ijk
A former physics major, if not practitioner.