Chapter 18, Problem 101A

Interpretation Introduction

Interpretation : Applying pressure causes ice to melt to be explained.

Concept Introduction : A substance's distinctive quality is its density.

The relationship between a substance's mass and the amount of space it occupies (volume) is known as its density.

Answer to Problem 101A

Ice gets melted on applying the pressure because there is a decrease in volume.

Explanation of Solution

The freezing of liquid water at $0^{\circ }\text{C}$

can be represented as follows:

  ${\text{H}}_{\text{2}}\text{O}\left(l\right) \rightleftharpoons {\text{H}}_{\text{2}}\text{O}\left(s\right)$

The density of the liquid water is $1.00{\text{g/cm}}^3$ .

The density of the ice is $0.92{\text{g/cm}}^3$ .

Density is inversely proportional to volume.

Ice's molecules arrange themselves into a tight tetrahedral structure, leaving cage-like voids in their bonding, which makes ice less dense than water.

However, water molecules continue to have linear bonds. Ice becomes less thick as its volume increases.

On applying the pressure, ice starts to melt because the increase in pressure decreases the volume, and thereby the volume of water is less than the volume of ice. So, the ice starts to melt due to a decrease in volume.