Water molecules bond in a crystalline form as the temperature of water drops. This creates more space between water molecules. What characteristic of water does this change describe?

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The question describes water molecules forming a crystalline structure as the temperature decreases, which leads to more space between molecules. This phenomenon relates to how the substance's mass per unit volume changes when it freezes.
Option 1: Surface tension. This property concerns the cohesive forces at the surface of a liquid and how it forms a 'skin,' not how the spacing between molecules changes with temperature. Therefore this is not the best fit for describing the expanded structure of ice.
Option 2: Density. Density is defined as mass per unit volume. When water freezes into ice, the arrangement of molecules in the solid form occupies more volume for roughly the same mass, causing a decrease in density. This aligns with the idea of more space between molecules as temperature drops.
Option 3: Specific heat. Specific heat measures how much energy is required to raise the temperature of a substance a certain amount. It does not describe changes in molecular spacing or phase-related expansion directly, so this option is not appropriate for the given description.
Option 4: Adhesion. Adhesion refers to the attraction between water and other substances or surfaces. While adhesion can influence wetting, it does not explain the increased spacing of water molecules in the crystalline ice structure due to cooling, making this option inaccurate here.
In summary, the description of increased molecular spacing as water cools and crystallizes corresponds to a change in density (specifically, a decrease in density upon freezing).

Water molecules bond in a crystalline form as the temperature of water drops. This creates more space between water molecules. What characteristic of water does this change describe?

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