Whcih property of water explains ice floating on the top of a pond rather than sinking to the bottom?

a. surface tension
b. freezing point at 0 celcius
c. capillary action
d. extensive hydrogen bonding

b. freezing point at 0 celcius

d. extensive hydrogen bonding

The correct answer is d. extensive hydrogen bonding.

To understand why ice floats on the top of a pond rather than sinking to the bottom, we need to consider the unique properties of water.

Water is a polar molecule, meaning it has a positive end (hydrogen) and a negative end (oxygen). The oxygen atom attracts electrons more strongly than the hydrogen atoms, giving it a partial negative charge and the hydrogen atoms a partial positive charge. This polarity leads to hydrogen bonding - a special type of attraction between the positive hydrogen of one water molecule and the negative oxygen of another water molecule.

Ice is the solid form of water, and it exhibits a specific type of crystal structure. In this structure, water molecules arrange themselves in a hexagonal lattice, where each water molecule is bonded to four neighboring water molecules through hydrogen bonds. Because of these hydrogen bonds, ice has a lower density than liquid water.

When the temperature drops and water freezes, the hexagonal arrangement of the ice crystal structure causes water molecules to expand and place more empty space between them. This expansion increases the volume of ice, making it less dense than the liquid water. This reduced density causes the ice to float on the surface of the water.

So, the property of water that explains why ice floats on the top of a pond rather than sinking to the bottom is its extensive hydrogen bonding, which leads to the unique crystal structure and lower density of ice compared to liquid water.