Page "Ice" Paragraph 9

An unusual property of ice frozen at atmospheric pressure is that the solid is approximately 8. 3 % less dense than liquid water.

The density of ice is 0. 9167 g / cm³ at 0 ° C, whereas water has a density of 0. 9998 g / cm³ at the same temperature.

Liquid water is densest, essentially 1. 00 g / cm³, at 4 ° C and becomes less dense as the water molecules begin to form the hexagonal crystals of ice as the freezing point is reached.

This is due to hydrogen bonding dominating the intermolecular forces, which results in a packing of molecules less compact in the solid.

Density of ice increases slightly with decreasing temperature and has a value of 0. 9340 g / cm³ at − 180 ° C ( 93 K ).