The Chemistry Behind Floating Ice: Life's Hidden Enabler

Added: 2026-05-25

[00:00:00]Ice is about 9% less dense [music] than liquid water, so it floats.

[00:00:04]We know ice floats on water, but why exactly does it do that?

[00:00:10]Water molecules form a crystalline lattice when frozen, [music] expanding and becoming less dense.

[00:00:16]This odd property keeps ice on the surface, >> [music] >> insulating the water below.

[00:00:22]Without it, entire bodies of water would freeze solid, endangering aquatic life.

[00:00:28]This floating ice may have been crucial for life's evolution on Earth.

[00:00:33]Ice floating is more than chemistry.

[00:00:35]It's a cornerstone of life as we know it.

[00:00:38]>> [music] >> So, that 9%?

[00:00:41]It's the reason life under the ice can thrive.