During the winter months water on the surface of a pond will typically freeze and this ice acts as an insulator for the water but need that as a result aquatic life is able to survive during the cold winter. The reason that this water expands upon freezing is due to:
A. the hydrogen bonding that creates its hexagonal shape
B. Water molecules being soluble in any polar solvent
When water freezes, the hydrogen bonding that creates its hexagonal shape causes the water molecules to expand out and take up more volume. As a result, its less dense than liquid water and it floats.
