Are the molecules of water moving closer together toward one another or farther apart as water freezes? Explain.
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As water freezes, the molecules of water move closer together towards one another. This is because during the freezing process, the water molecules lose energy and start to slow down. When the molecules slow down, the attractive forces between them become stronger, causing them to come closer together.
Water molecules are made up of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. These molecules have a bent shape, with the hydrogen atoms at one end and the oxygen atom at the other. The oxygen atom has a slight negative charge, while the hydrogen atoms have a slight positive charge. This creates a polar molecule, with the oxygen atom being more electronegative and attracting the electrons more strongly.
In its liquid state, water molecules are in constant motion, moving and bouncing off each other. However, as the temperature decreases and water starts to freeze, the molecules lose kinetic energy. This causes their motion to slow down, and the attractive forces between them become more dominant.
The attractive forces between water molecules are hydrogen bonds. Hydrogen bonds are formed between the slightly negative oxygen atom of one water molecule and the slightly positive hydrogen atom of another water molecule. These hydrogen bonds are relatively weak compared to the covalent bonds within water molecules, but they are still strong enough to affect the overall structure of solid ice.
When enough energy is lost, the water molecules slow down to the point where the attractive forces between them can hold them in fixed positions. At this stage, the water molecules arrange themselves in a highly organized crystal lattice structure, forming solid ice. In the ice lattice, each water molecule is surrounded by four neighboring water molecules, forming a tetrahedral arrangement.
Therefore, as water freezes, the molecules move closer together towards one another due to the formation of hydrogen bonds and the loss of energy, resulting in the solidification of water into ice.