Ice floats on water, and this is biologically important because
- A. the ice layer insulates the water below, letting aquatic organisms survive the winter
- B. it allows water to evaporate faster in cold weather
- C. it increases the amount of oxygen dissolved in the lake
- D. it lowers the freezing point of the remaining water
Explanation
Water is unusual in becoming less dense as it freezes, because the hydrogen bonds lock the molecules into an open lattice, so ice forms at the surface instead of sinking. The layer then insulates the water beneath, which stays liquid and allows fish and other organisms to survive. If ice sank, a pond would freeze solid from the bottom upwards and life in it would be destroyed.
Related questions
Water makes up approximately what proportion of the fresh mass of a typical living cell?
Sweating cools the body efficiently because water has a high
The rise of water in the xylem as an unbroken column depends mainly on
Which property of water helps in moderating Earth's climate and maintaining stable temperature in aquatic environment?
Which property of water allows it to act as a temperature buffer for living cells?