Question

If there is a glass bottle with steel coating and filled with water (full) and kept in the freezer, will the bottle break?
A) Yes
B) No
C) Ambiguous
D) Data Insufficient

Answer 1

To understand this problem, we have to understand the special property of water known as anomalous expansion of water. This is the phenomenon wherein on cooling the water below , the water undergoes expansion, instead of contracting.

Complete answer:
Given:
1. The glass bottle has a steel coating.
2. The glass bottle is completely filled.
3. The bottle is kept in the freezer.
To find:
If the bottle will break or not.
Explanation:
When the bottle is kept in a freezer, the temperature of the bottle inside the freezer is below. Given that the steel is a very good conductor of heat, the water will turn into ice by cooling, very quickly.
The density of ice is lesser than that of water. Hence, when water turns into ice, the volume increases. This unusual expansion of water when it forms ice is called anomalous expansion.
For a constant mass, volume is inversely proportional to density. Given that the water is completely filling the bottle and density decreases, the increase in volume of the ice in the bottle, results in large pressure of the bottle. Hence, the bottle breaks.

If there is a glass bottle with steel coating and filled with water (full) and kept in the freezer, (A), Yes, the bottle will break.

Additional information: Here, the breaking of the glass bottle can be prevented if instead of the steel coating some coating of insulated material is provided around the glass bottle. Then heat from the water will not be conducted easily to the ambient and the water will not turn into ice. Actually, that is how the thermos flask water bottles are made.

Note: The students should understand that if in place of steel, any other conductor like copper and silver is given, the similar answer is applicable since this phenomenon is dependent on the fact that metals conduct heat faster than normal materials.