Why does ice float?
© Virtual Science Teachers 2022
Visit www.VirtualScienceTeachers.com for more interactives!
Virtual Science Teachers
Begin
Simulations used in this interactive are by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC-BY-4.0 (https://phet.colorado.edu).
Back
Welcome to Svalbard! You are well within the Arctic Circle, only 500 miles from the North Pole. The high temperature is -10°C (14°F) today.
Svalbard
Select the glacier to continue.
You watch two polar bear cubs playing on ice in the middle of a very deep bay. How is it that the ice can support these bears? Why doesn't the ice sink?
CONTINUE
You look farther out and see a giant iceberg floating in the bay. How does something so heavy float? It's time to investigate!
CONTINUE
Play with this simulation. Compare the distances between particles as you heat and cool them. Neon, argon, and oxygen behave like most particles when they freeze. Notice how water is different!
ReloadPage
Click here only when you have observed how water is different when it freezes.
Back
Play with this simulation. Compare the distances between particles as you heat and cool them. Neon, argon, and oxygen behave like most particles when they freeze. Notice how water is different!
ReloadPage
Click here only when you have observed how water is different when it freezes.
Gaseous Air
Solid Water
Back
If the activity does not load, click BACK and try again.
ReloadPage
Liquid Saltwater
Click on me when you know the code word.
Gaseous Air
Solid Water
Back
If the activity does not load, click BACK and try again.
ReloadPage
Liquid Saltwater
Click on me when you know the code word.
Enter the code word you get by answering all 6 questions correctly.
lowercase letters only
Click here to use the simulation again.
Back
Which set of data on the bar graph correctly shows the relative distance between the particles of WATER in the solid, liquid, and gas states?
Set A Set B Set C Set D
HELP!
The distance between particles affects a substance's density. Density is the amount of matter (atoms or molecules) in a given space.
solid water (ice)
liquid water
Click on the form of water (liquid or solid) that contains more molecules for each milliliter of space.
Yes! Each milliliter of liquid water contains more molecules than each milliliter of ice.
solid water (ice)
liquid water
Click on the form of water (liquid or solid) that is the least dense.
In other words, which form of water (liquid or solid) contains fewer molecules per milliliter?
That's right! Solid water (ice) is less dense than liquid water.
solid water (ice)
liquid water
But, what does density have to do with floating ice?
Continue
less, more
Back
Home
An object or substance will sink in substances it is more dense than and float in substances it is less dense than.
Back
(Least Dense)
(Most Dense)
What Floats?
Click on the least dense substace or object in the glass.
CONTINUE
Back
Home
Right! The ping pong ball is the least dense. Well...the air around the ping pong ball is actually the least dense, but you get the point.
Back
(Least Dense)
(Most Dense)
What Floats?
Click on the most dense substace or object in the glass.
CONTINUE
You got it. The ping pong ball is the least dense. Well... the air around the ping pong ball is actually the least dense, but you get the point.
Back
Home
Back
What Floats?
Arrange the substances in order from least to most dense. Then click on the blue checkbox and follow the provided directions.
CONTINUE
ReloadPage
Back
If the activity does not load, click BACK and try again.
It's a good thing that frozen water (ice) is ________ dense than liquid water and therefore ________ in liquid water!
more, sinks
less, floats
less, sinks
more, floats
Select the layer of ice to see what would happen if ice sank.
Layer of Ice
Top Layer of Ice
Click on the layer of ice to see what would happen if ice sank.
ReloadPage
Back
New ice would continually form on the surface of the water and then sink. The whole body of water would turn into ice!
If the activity does not load, click BACK and try again.
I can't live without liquid water.
Click on the fish.
Top Layer of Ice
Click on the layer of ice to see what would happen if ice sank.
ReloadPage
Back
New ice would continually form on the surface of the water and then sink. The whole body of water would turn into ice!
If the activity does not load, click BACK and try again.
I can't live without liquid water.
Click on the fish.
Layer of ice.
Click on the layer of ice to see what would happen if ice sank.
ReloadPage
Back
Thankfully, ice does not sink and life under the ice continues!
If the activity does not load, click BACK and try again.
Click on any of the organisms that live under the ice.
Back
ReloadPage
Click on the boxes and choose the best word to complete the sentences. When all boxes are correct, click on the blue checkbox and follow the provided directions.
We are having technical difficulaties. Select the tip of the iceberg.
Click here to use the simulation again.
Back
ReloadPage
Click on the boxes and choose the best word to complete the sentences. When all boxes are correct, click on the blue checkbox and follow the provided directions.
If the activity does not load, click BACK and try again.
We are having technical difficulaties. Select the tip of the iceberg.
Click here to use the simulation again.
Next time you're out watching the polar bears play on floating ice chunks....
Or perhaps when you add some ice to your glass of water....
Remember that ice floats because it is less dense than water!
If requested by your teacher...
© Virtual Science Teachers 2022
1. Change alt tag for each important image.2. Change all "clicks" to "select" 3. Delete extra stuff outside the page (click zoom out to do this) 4. Make all interactive boxs invisible shapes with alt tags.
Why does ice float?
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Transcript
Why does ice float?
© Virtual Science Teachers 2022
Visit www.VirtualScienceTeachers.com for more interactives!
Virtual Science Teachers
Begin
Simulations used in this interactive are by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC-BY-4.0 (https://phet.colorado.edu).
Back
Welcome to Svalbard! You are well within the Arctic Circle, only 500 miles from the North Pole. The high temperature is -10°C (14°F) today.
Svalbard
Select the glacier to continue.
You watch two polar bear cubs playing on ice in the middle of a very deep bay. How is it that the ice can support these bears? Why doesn't the ice sink?
CONTINUE
You look farther out and see a giant iceberg floating in the bay. How does something so heavy float? It's time to investigate!
CONTINUE
Play with this simulation. Compare the distances between particles as you heat and cool them. Neon, argon, and oxygen behave like most particles when they freeze. Notice how water is different!
ReloadPage
Click here only when you have observed how water is different when it freezes.
Back
Play with this simulation. Compare the distances between particles as you heat and cool them. Neon, argon, and oxygen behave like most particles when they freeze. Notice how water is different!
ReloadPage
Click here only when you have observed how water is different when it freezes.
Gaseous Air
Solid Water
Back
If the activity does not load, click BACK and try again.
ReloadPage
Liquid Saltwater
Click on me when you know the code word.
Gaseous Air
Solid Water
Back
If the activity does not load, click BACK and try again.
ReloadPage
Liquid Saltwater
Click on me when you know the code word.
Enter the code word you get by answering all 6 questions correctly.
lowercase letters only
Click here to use the simulation again.
Back
Which set of data on the bar graph correctly shows the relative distance between the particles of WATER in the solid, liquid, and gas states?
Set A Set B Set C Set D
HELP!
The distance between particles affects a substance's density. Density is the amount of matter (atoms or molecules) in a given space.
solid water (ice)
liquid water
Click on the form of water (liquid or solid) that contains more molecules for each milliliter of space.
Yes! Each milliliter of liquid water contains more molecules than each milliliter of ice.
solid water (ice)
liquid water
Click on the form of water (liquid or solid) that is the least dense.
In other words, which form of water (liquid or solid) contains fewer molecules per milliliter?
That's right! Solid water (ice) is less dense than liquid water.
solid water (ice)
liquid water
But, what does density have to do with floating ice?
Continue
less, more
Back
Home
An object or substance will sink in substances it is more dense than and float in substances it is less dense than.
Back
(Least Dense)
(Most Dense)
What Floats?
Click on the least dense substace or object in the glass.
CONTINUE
Back
Home
Right! The ping pong ball is the least dense. Well...the air around the ping pong ball is actually the least dense, but you get the point.
Back
(Least Dense)
(Most Dense)
What Floats?
Click on the most dense substace or object in the glass.
CONTINUE
You got it. The ping pong ball is the least dense. Well... the air around the ping pong ball is actually the least dense, but you get the point.
Back
Home
Back
What Floats?
Arrange the substances in order from least to most dense. Then click on the blue checkbox and follow the provided directions.
CONTINUE
ReloadPage
Back
If the activity does not load, click BACK and try again.
It's a good thing that frozen water (ice) is ________ dense than liquid water and therefore ________ in liquid water!
more, sinks
less, floats
less, sinks
more, floats
Select the layer of ice to see what would happen if ice sank.
Layer of Ice
Top Layer of Ice
Click on the layer of ice to see what would happen if ice sank.
ReloadPage
Back
New ice would continually form on the surface of the water and then sink. The whole body of water would turn into ice!
If the activity does not load, click BACK and try again.
I can't live without liquid water.
Click on the fish.
Top Layer of Ice
Click on the layer of ice to see what would happen if ice sank.
ReloadPage
Back
New ice would continually form on the surface of the water and then sink. The whole body of water would turn into ice!
If the activity does not load, click BACK and try again.
I can't live without liquid water.
Click on the fish.
Layer of ice.
Click on the layer of ice to see what would happen if ice sank.
ReloadPage
Back
Thankfully, ice does not sink and life under the ice continues!
If the activity does not load, click BACK and try again.
Click on any of the organisms that live under the ice.
Back
ReloadPage
Click on the boxes and choose the best word to complete the sentences. When all boxes are correct, click on the blue checkbox and follow the provided directions.
We are having technical difficulaties. Select the tip of the iceberg.
Click here to use the simulation again.
Back
ReloadPage
Click on the boxes and choose the best word to complete the sentences. When all boxes are correct, click on the blue checkbox and follow the provided directions.
If the activity does not load, click BACK and try again.
We are having technical difficulaties. Select the tip of the iceberg.
Click here to use the simulation again.
Next time you're out watching the polar bears play on floating ice chunks....
Or perhaps when you add some ice to your glass of water....
Remember that ice floats because it is less dense than water!
If requested by your teacher...
© Virtual Science Teachers 2022
1. Change alt tag for each important image.2. Change all "clicks" to "select" 3. Delete extra stuff outside the page (click zoom out to do this) 4. Make all interactive boxs invisible shapes with alt tags.