Moderate

Ice floats on the surface of water due to:

Correct answer: D. Empty spaces in the structure of ice

  • A. Larger bond length
  • B. Cubic structure of ice
  • C. Weak intermolecular forces
  • D. Empty spaces in the structure of ice

Explanation

Ice floats on water because it has a lower density than water. As water freezes, the hydrogen bonds cause the structure to arrange in a form in which there are many intermolecular spaces, with H2O molecules being away from each other. A is incorrect because the bond length of H2O remains whatsoever the physical form H2O is in. The cubic structure of ice has nothing to do with ice floating on water. It can be proven from the fact that even if ice is formed in a different shape it will still float on water so, option B is also incorrect. Option C is incorrect because intermolecular forces are the same in water and ice, which are hydrogen bonds.

Last updated

About Chemical Bonding

Chemical bonding explains molecular shape through VSEPR theory and distinguishes sigma bonds from pi bonds. Questions involve hybridization, bond angles, dipole moment and bond energy, including how electron-pair repulsion determines geometry and how bond polarity differs from the overall polarity of a molecule.

Practise Chemical Bonding

964 free Chemical Bonding MCQs from Chemistry, each with the correct answer and an explanation. Unlimited attempts, no account needed.

Exams that ask Chemistry questions like this

Chemistry is on 12 papers prepared for on TestUstad, and all of them draw the same bank, so this question is worth knowing for every one of them.

Related questions