Ice floats because it is less dense, but just what is the density of water and ice? There are many simple ways to find this density, but is it also possible to calculate it from using molecular data files found on the Internet?

Note: This project is only recommended for students with a strong background in chemistry.

About Water and Ice:

We highly recommend you read the following resources:

Mass Density Volume Module

About Water and Ice

Water Concepts

Water and Ice Molecular Structures

About Molecular Modeling

Molecular Modeling, is one of the fastest growing fields in science. It may vary from building and visualizing simple molecules (in 3-Dimensions) to performing complex computer simulations on large protein molecules. Using various molecular modeling software, one can visualize, rotate, manipulate, and optimize models on a computer display. Although some calculations can be performed in a few seconds other calculations on molecules, using even the largest computers, can take weeks or months to complete. Read more from the MathMol Pages

Free Molecular Modeling Software Packages

Expand on this project:

Ordinary Ice is also know as Ice Ih. There are several other types of ice found in nature. See if you can obtain their molecular structure and calculate their density. Is the density the same for other types of ice? Make your hypotheses and see if you are correct.

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