From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!eagle!allegra!sbcs!debray
Newsgroups: net.physics
Title: Re: Ice in water
Article-I.D.: sbcs.266
Posted: Sun Apr 10 22:22:46 1983
Received: Mon Apr 11 02:39:23 1983

"The air is obviously the reason ice floats in water" : HUH?

Ice floats in water because water is one of the few substances that expands
when it freezes. (Actually there are several different kinds of ice, as a
complete phase diagram of water will show ; they are formed under different
conditions of temperature and pressure, and to the best of my knowledge, all
have specific gravities less than 1.0).
The only other substances that I can think of that expand on freezing are
bismuth and bronze (that would explain its popularity with statue-makers
of yore : on expansion, it would take up the impression of the mold really
well).

						Saumya K Debray
						SUNY at Stony Brook
						... allegra!sbcs!debray