How would life change if the density of ice was larger than the density of water?
97291
When you drink, the ice would be at the bottom of the glass. There would be no icebergs above water, no Antarctica. There would have been no ice age. No iceskating, no hockey, no icefishing (at least not naturally). Submarines would have to navigate more carefully because large chunks of icebergs would be under water. No polar bears, penguins, and any other animal that lives in the Arctic Circle or Antarctica. Those animals live on the ice and wouldn't be able to survive without it.
855462
ice has lower density, so it will either have larger volume or lower mass/weight than water.
312206
Water continues to become more dense as it cools until just above the freezing point.  I can't remember the exact temperature off-hand, but I believe it is very near 33.5 to 34 degrees Fahrenheit.  \n\nBelow that water begins to expand and once it has frozen, its volume increases approximately 10%...that's why ice floats...less dense than the water it came from!  Cool, huh?
142501
Yes, the levels will rise.\nIce caps cover land area. If the ice from land melts and flows to oceans, the sea levels will definitely rise as the amount of water in the sea clearly will increase. \n\nHowever, the scenario will be different if we are talking about the melting of ice-bergs already floating in the oceans. The melting of the icebergs floating in the oceans\nwill cause a decrease in the sea level as ice is rarer than water (i.e. water is denser than ice). \n\n\n#EDIT\nBut, I don't think that really is the case. Here is some facts I found while thinking about the question itself and going through a Physics Textbook-\n\nSure the volume decreases while ice caps melt but this decrease in volume is outweighed by the increse in the volume of ocean water due to the expansion from the heat it absorbs.\nDue to global warming, the heat in melted ice & ocean water increases drastically! This leads to an increase in their volume and causes a rise in sea level.
745528
Interesting theory, however water expands when it freezes.  It has no problem melting under pressure.
609672
Most liquids dilate when heated and therfore the density increases with temperature. Water is an exception below 4 degrees Celsius. The reason are hydrogen bonds. \n\nIn the H20 molecule the hydrogen atoms share their electrons with the oxygen atom in socalled covalent bonds. But the oxygen atom attracts the electrons very strongly and takes more than its share.\n\nAs a consequence the hydrogen atoms form bonds with the oxygen atoms of other water molecules. These hydrogen bonds are weaker than the covalent bonds. \n\nThe result of the existence of hydrogen bonds is that ice is organised in a hexagonal structure which is less dense than water. These structures form already in liquid water too, but to a lesser degree.  \n\nThe end result is a tug-of-war between the effect of the hydrogen bonds and the normal dilation of water. With a maximum density at 4 degree C as a consequence.
402591
The short answer is an ice cube, but that is not the whole story.  Water reaches its maximum density at about 4 degrees centigrade at which point it is still liquid.  The density drops at temperatures below 4 degrees, ice forms at 0 degrees and the density continues to drop as things get cooler.  The density also drops as water is heated.\n\nSo at 60 degrees centigrade, liquid water has a density of about 983kg/m3 while at -10 degrees, ice has a density of 998kg/m3.  This means the ice more dense than the water, so if you drop an ice cube at -10 into a cup of water at 60, the ice cube will sink (if you can stop it from melting or cooling the water).\n\nAssuming your teacher asked you this, you can put their nose out of joint by telling them ice is more dense than water and when they contradict you ask them to calculate the density at the temperatures I gave and tell them to ask more precise questions next time.
1036867
Of course ice and water are chemically identical consisting of H2O.  The two hydrogen atoms attach to the oxygen atom other than in a straight line (not like beads on a string).  The electron field surrounding the water molecule is uneven providing it with a "polarity" that makes it much easier to pack many molecules together in a given (rather than arbitrary) arrangement.  When water is a vapor (or steam) there is so much vibrational energy that the molecules bounce off each other maintaining a "pressure" depending on their energy (temperature).  When the molecules are a liquid, they are very closely packed and are nearly incompressible (even seven miles below the surface of the ocean!).  The bulk water expands and contracts only a little with temperature changes.  When heat is removed from the water (in a freezer?) the molecules are attracted to each other in a preferred array due to polarity and form long chains of molecules that use up space far less efficiently.  The "ice" is less dense and floats on water because the space between chains is filled with a vacuum or gases that weigh very little.  When the water is allowed to freeze in open space (a cloud?) the polarity is free to align water molecules in the most preferred orientation; a six sided snow flake.  When hoar frost forms on a cold window pane the ice forms in dendrites, like growing Christmas trees.  Hope that helps a little.
507086
Because water is most dense at 39 deg. F, therefore ice is lighter than water.
251316
It expands.  \n\nHere's an interesting point... becauase it expands, the same molecules of water take up more space as a solid than as a liquid, so it's less dense.  If it contracted (like most other things do when they go from liquid to solid) it would take up less space and be more dense... so frozen water would be heavier than liquid water.  If that were the case, ice would sink, which would be a serious bummer for fish.  As it is, since water expands, solid water (ice) is lighter than liquid water, so it floats - a serious bummer for the Titanic, but a good thing for cold drinks and fishies.\n\nI love this stuff.
379878
Density is the key property that determines whether or not a substance floats.  Ice floats because it is less dense than liquid water.  Why is ice less dense?  Because the water molecules in ice are arranged in a crystal lattice that spaces the molecules farther apart than when they are in the liquid state.  That is why ice floats.  \n\nBy the way, your initial statement that cold water is heavier than warm water is not exactly worded correctly.  It is more correct to say that cold water is denser than warm water, not heavier.
449704
Water is water. The density of ice water is 1000 kg/m^3. It isn't floating is it? Then it must not be below 1000.
713171
No the molecules still weigh the same. With water the volume will increase, that's why ice floats. Most other substances decrease as they freeze.
706444
Density= Mass/Volume.  When water freezes, its volume increases. This is why a frozen bottle of water expands to the point of bursting. By the formula, if volume increases and Mass stays the same, then the value of density decreases.  Thus, this is why ice floats and is less dense than water.  When the ice melts, the reverse happens in that its volume decreases and again by the formula, density will increase.   Tahdaaaa!!
90401
The higher the salinity the more resistant something is to a cold temperature change. Meaning that it takes it longer to freeze. Frozen things are more dense, so something that takes longer to freeze is less dense.
203946
First the atmosphere is blocked out by the cold air rising from earth.Then all plant life dye followed by the animals.The land masses change shape by the gradual pushing of the ice flows.Then the oceans freeze up and sea life stops existing.
873711
Not quite right.  It is most dense at 4 degrees C.  If it didn't, the water would freeze from the bottom up.  As it approaches 0 degrees, it becomes less dense and rises above the more dense warmer water and freezes on the surface and goes down.  Otherwise, fish would be on top of the ice and die after it froze.