Ice floats on water although it is solid becoz during the process of solidification, some empty spaces are created in between the particles of the matter . Hence ice floats on water .

Why Ice Floats on Water:
Ice floats on water due to a unique property of water known as density anomaly. Despite being a liquid, water behaves unusually compared to other substances when it freezes into ice.

Density Anomaly Explained:
- Most substances become denser when they solidify, causing their solid form to sink in their liquid form. However, water is an exception to this rule.
- When water cools below its freezing point, its molecules rearrange into a hexagonal lattice structure, causing ice to be less dense than liquid water.
- This decrease in density occurs because the water molecules in ice are more spread out compared to those in liquid water.

Hydrogen Bonding:
- The unique hydrogen bonding between water molecules is responsible for this anomaly. Each water molecule can form up to four hydrogen bonds with neighboring molecules, creating a stable lattice structure in ice.
- These hydrogen bonds hold the water molecules further apart in ice, making it less dense than the freely moving molecules in liquid water.

Consequences:
- Due to its lower density, ice is lighter than water and therefore floats on its surface. This property is essential for aquatic ecosystems as it insulates the water below, allowing life to survive in cold climates.
- Without this anomaly, bodies of water would freeze from the bottom up, making it difficult for life to exist beneath the frozen surface.
In conclusion, the density anomaly of water, caused by its unique hydrogen bonding, is the reason why ice floats on water despite typically denser substances sinking in their liquid form.