Liquids generally have lower density as compared to solids. But you must have observed that ice floats on water. Find out why.

Ice floats on water due to the unique behavior of water molecules and the structure of ice crystals. Water molecules form hydrogen bonds with each other, which are relatively strong intermolecular forces. When water freezes and forms ice, these hydrogen bonds arrange themselves in a hexagonal lattice structure. This structure results in ice being less dense than liquid water. In the solid state, water molecules in ice are more spaced out compared to in liquid water. This is because the hydrogen bonds in the ice lattice hold the water molecules in a fixed, rigid arrangement, with open spaces between the molecules. As a result, the volume occupied by the ice is greater than that occupied by the same mass of liquid water. Because ice is less dense than water, it floats on the surface of water. When ice is placed in water, it displaces an amount of water equal to its own weight. Since ice is less dense, the weight of the water displaced is greater than the weight of the ice itself, causing the ice to float. This property of ice floating on water is crucial for aquatic ecosystems and life forms living in bodies of water, as it allows for the formation of an insulating layer of ice on the surface of the water during cold weather, protecting aquatic life underneath from extreme cold temperatures. read less