How do you rank water in terms of density (solid liquid and gas)? (from least to greatest). I think it would be gas, solid, and liquid, but I just wanted to confirm this thanks
That is correct. Ice is less dense than water. That is unusual. The majority of materials are most dense in their solid phase.
To confirm the rankings of water in terms of density in its different states, let's go through a brief explanation of the topic.
Density is a measure of how much mass is contained in a given volume of a substance. It is typically expressed in units of mass per unit volume (e.g., grams per cubic centimeter or kilograms per liter).
First, let's consider water in its solid state, which is ice. When water freezes and turns into ice, its molecules arrange themselves in a specific crystalline structure, leading to a decrease in the volume occupied by the same amount of water molecules. This compression causes an increase in the density of ice compared to liquid water. Therefore, ice is more dense than liquid water.
Next, let's consider liquid water. Liquid water has a density of approximately 1 gram per cubic centimeter (g/cm³) at standard conditions, which is commonly used as a reference. This means that for every cubic centimeter of liquid water, it weighs 1 gram.
Lastly, let's consider water in its gaseous state, which is water vapor or steam. Water vapor is less dense than liquid water because the molecules are separated and have a greater average distance between them. Therefore, water vapor is less dense than both liquid water and ice.
Based on the above explanations, the correct ranking of water in terms of density, from least to greatest, would be: gas (water vapor), liquid water, and solid (ice).
To summarize:
1. Gas (water vapor) - least dense
2. Liquid water - moderate density
3. Solid (ice) - most dense
I hope this explanation helps to confirm your understanding!