Hi Laura,



> what is it about the behaviour of water that makes
> it exempt from the laws of chemistry and physics?


It's not exempt, it just happens to be a special example.
I think bismuth is also less dense as a solid.

Many of waters properties are dependent on van der Waals
and hydrogen secondary bonding. Liquid water forms a highly
dynamic lattice system in which each molecule is being hydrogen
bonded from 4 to I believe possibly 7 other molecules. These
bonds break and reform all the time allowing the molecules
freedom of movement.

As ice forms, the bonds become more stable, and the new lattice
system is rigid and porous, and occupies more space.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/18/2005 05:00AM by Tommi Huhtamaki.