Have you ever wondered why any solid material floats on any fluid, why it does not sink, but not all the solid material floats like stones? One more question arises that how any object floats. Let us study in the article, why ice floats on water and it does not sink.
First we will see, why any object floats
When any object floats, it depends upon its density. There is a scientific reason behind it and Archimedes’ principle also states about it.
According to Archimedes’ principle for any object to float on water, the amount of water should be equal to the weight of the object that has to be displaced or in other words, it states that for any object to float on water, it must displace an equal amount of water. We all know that solid objects have more density as compared to liquids. As, the molecules are bonded more closely to each other in a solid object, due to which they are hard and has more weight.
Why ice floats on water?

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Often when any fluid turns into a solid substance, its volume decreases and it becomes heavier. Ice floats on water because the density of ice is less than that of water. In common language, we can say that ice floats on water because it is light as compared to water, or after solidifying ice occupies a lot of space, due to which the density of ice is reduced by the density of water and for this reason Ice started floating on water.
Water has hydrogen bond due to which it is different from the rest of the substances. Its molecules consist of two atoms of hydrogen which is positively charged and is connected by the hydrogen bond with an oxygen atom which is negatively charged. Do you that water freezes at 4 degrees Celsius and converted in to the crystal lattice known as ice.

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Ice floats because it is 9% less dense than water. In other words, ice takes 9% more space than water, so one litre of ice is less than one litre of water. Therefore, water is heavier than ice, the ice remains or sets in its place, which causes it to float on the water.

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