Which best explains why an iceberg floats? Water expands and becomes denser when it freezes.

Water contracts and becomes denser when it freezes.

The options to this question are incomplete. The remaining two options are:

C. Water expands and becomes less dense when it freezes.

D. Water contracts and becomes less dense when it freezes.

The answer is C. Water expands and becomes less dense when it freezes.

Explanation:

Water is a chemical compound that exists in the three states of matter viz: solid as ICE, gas as vapour and liquid as WATER. However, due to the DENSITY properties of each state, ice floats on water. Ice is less dense than water.

When liquid water freezes, it's particles expands i.e increases in volume. Hence, it becomes less dense than water. This causes an iceberg to float on water because it has a lesser density compared to the liquid water caused by an expansion of its particles.