Question

A corked bottle full of water when frozen will break because
A. The volume of water increases on freezing.
B. The volume of water decreases on freezing.
C. The bottle contracts on freezing.
D. Glass is a bad conductor of heat.

Answer 1

When liquids are freezed, they become solids. The density of a solid is less than the density of the same solid in liquid state. Density of a body is the ratio of mass of the body over its volume. Density is inversely proportional to volume. Use this information to find the reason for corked bottle breakage when frozen.

Complete step by step answer:
We are given to find the reason for the breakage of a corked bottle full of water when frozen.
The molecules of water are not tightly packed.
When water is frozen, the hydrogen bonding between one molecule of water and other increases in size that results in the expansion of volume of the water
The volume of water increases by 9% when frozen. Thus the volume of ice is greater by 9% than the volume of water.
So the increase in volume of ice results in the decrease in the density of ice than water, as density of a body is inversely proportional to volume of the body. That is why ice floats on water.
So, a corked bottle full of water when frozen will break because the volume of water increases on freezing which puts pressure on the walls of the bottle so it will crack.

So, the correct answer is “Option A”.

Note:
Water is the only substance whose density will decrease when solidified. When objects have less density than the water, then those objects float on water. Some examples are ice, wood, cooking oil, plastic and air. Pressure does not increase with volume, rather it decreases. Be careful with the proportionalities.