Asian Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Why is water denser in the liquid state than in the solid state. I know it has something to do with hydrogen bonding and the particles sliding past each other. Can someone please explain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdurg Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Take a look at the structure of water. The H-O-H bond angle shows you everything you need to know. Remember, when water is in a solid state the H is attracted to the O of another water molecule. If you draw it out, the answer will appear for you immediately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asian Posted February 4, 2007 Author Share Posted February 4, 2007 so is it because in a solid, the nonpolar bonds are less dense compared to a liquid as the particles vibrate in place Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdurg Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 so is it because in a solid, the nonpolar bonds are less dense compared to a liquid as the particles vibrate in place Nope. Think again. What exactly is density? It is a measurement of Mass divided by volume. A bond can't have density since a bond isn't really a mass. That's like trying to calculate the density of the word "bug". It's just not logically possible. So back to your question. The density of a substance is the measurement of how much mass exists in a fixed volume. Your comment on vibration does begin to lead you down the right path. What is the difference between the intermolecular/interatomic interactions in a liquid and in a solid? If you can answer this question, as well as draw out a few water molecules, the answer should be pretty evident. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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