Jakarta –
Be it ice at the North Pole or blocks of ice in drinks, neither of them ever sinks. Floating ice is a basic fact of nature, which, according to scientists, is often taken for granted.
“Floating ice is a fundamental fact of the world, it is difficult to imagine what this world would be like [tanpanya],” said Brent Minchew, professor of geophysics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, on Live Science.
However, have you ever thought about why ice floats on water, instead of sinking to the bottom? The answer has to do with the density of the water.
Reasons for Ice Floats
Water ice, which is solid water, can float because its density is smaller than its liquid form. In contrast, most other substances become denser in the solid phase.
“Water is a very unusual substance,” said Claire Parkinson, a former climatologist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland.
Ice cubes float because of their molecular structure. Water molecules (H2O) are made of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.
Hydrogen and oxygen atoms share pairs of electrons, forming a covalent bond. The positively charged hydrogen atoms are attracted to the negatively charged oxygen atoms of other water molecules and the bonds formed between these molecules are known as hydrogen bonds.
When water freezes, these hydrogen bonds form a crystal lattice. Most of the ice on the Earth’s surface is in the form of repeating hexagonal crystals. There is a lot of empty space in the lattice structure which is filled with air which causes the ice density to be lower.
This is why icebergs float in the ocean, even though their thickness is approximately between 30 and 50 meters. Floating ice allows life to develop beneath the surface of frozen lakes and oceans. If the ice sinks, it will be a problem for the marine and aquatic life that currently lives in these underwater habitats.
Ice is Important for the Oceans
Sea ice that floats on the ocean surface is also important for ocean circulation. NASA’s Earth Observatory explains that sea ice releases salt and makes the water beneath it very salty and dense.
This dense water created by sea ice sinks to the bottom of the ocean and pushes deep water to the surface, helping circulate seawater around the world.
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2023-12-17 03:00:31
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