Today, in my thermodynamics class I was aware of the special fluid mechanics of water while looking at a phase diagram. Density is an important topic in fluid mechanics and water demonstrates one of the most unusual behaviors in reference to density. Water expands upon freezing (i.e. solid water is less dense than liquid water). This is the reason ice floats.
 |
| Phase diagram of water. |
The negative slope of the line starting at the triple point and proceeding between the ice and water regions shows that water expands upon freezing. This fluid mechanic property of water is important for several reasons. If ice was more dense than water all the lakes and oceans would freeze from the bottom to the top, killing all biology and creating solid oceans and lakes. Because ice is less dense and floats, it insulates the water underneath to prevent complete freezing from occurring.
No comments:
Post a Comment