Why Does a Sealed Water Bottle Crack in the Freezer?

AI Thread Summary
When a sealed water bottle is placed in the freezer, it can crack due to the expansion of water as it freezes. While water begins to expand below 4 degrees Celsius, the critical factor is that ice is less dense than liquid water, which causes the volume to increase significantly as it freezes. This expansion creates pressure within the sealed bottle, leading to cracks. The unique properties of water, unlike most substances, contribute to this phenomenon. Understanding the density difference between ice and water clarifies why the bottle fails under freezing conditions.
Gamma
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This is not a homework question, but a conceptual question that I am trying to understand.

We all have experienced/heard that if you put a completely full water bottle with the cap on in the freezer, the bottle cracks as the water freezers. The explanation is that the water expand as it freezes. But if you look at the V vs. T graph of water, it start to expand only below 4 Celsius. So the bottle has enough space to hold the expanded volume. Since, in real life, the bottle actually cracks, what am I missing?

Thank you! - Gamma.
 
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got it. thanks! feel stupid.
 
It's a good question. For most substances, the solid state is more dense than the liquid state. Water is one of the exceptions.
 

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