Question
What happens to water when it freezes? Its mass increases. Its mass decreases. Its density increases. Its density decreases.
Answer
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(202 Votes)
Amber
Veteran · Tutor for 11 years
Answer
Its density decreases.
Explanation
To answer this question, we need to understand the properties of water and how they change when it transitions from a liquid to a solid state (freezing). 1. **Change in Mass**: The mass of a substance remains constant during a phase change. This is due to the law of conservation of mass, which states that mass cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction or physical transformation. Therefore, when water freezes, its mass does not increase or decrease.2. **Change in Density**: Density is defined as mass per unit volume. When water freezes, it expands, which is a unique property of water. Most substances contract when they solidify, but water expands due to the formation of a hexagonal crystalline structure in ice. This structure is less dense than the molecular arrangement in liquid water. As a result, the volume of water increases when it freezes, leading to a decrease in density. Therefore, the correct answer is that the density of water decreases when it freezes.