How to Change the Density of Water
- 1). Heat a pot of water to near-boiling. Use a thermometer to test the water. Once it's around 90 degrees Celsius or 200 degrees Fahrenheit, turn off the stove.
- 2). Pour the hot water into a clear glass container. A graduated cylinder or other container with volume measurements would be best, but any clear container will do. Fill it nearly to the top to provide fewer surfaces for condensation.
- 3). Cover the container to avoid evaporation.
- 4). Mark the water level with tape or a marker and place the container in the fridge.
- 5). Cool the water, remove it and look at the water level. Because water near the boiling point is about 3% less dense than water near freezing, you should be able to see a small drop in water level.
- 1). Fill a clear cup, preferably one you aren't too fond of (it may break) with tap water. Mark the water level.
- 2). Put the cup in the freezer. Wait a day.
- 3). Take the cup out of the freezer and compare the level of the ice to the water level you marked. Solid water (ice) is about 10% less dense than liquid water. This is very unusual -- for nearly every other substance, the solid form is more dense. This is due to the unusual crystal structure of ice.
- 4). Boil a large pot of water in an enclosed space. Eventually, you should notice that the whole room seems more humid, and water may begin to condense onto cold surfaces. This is because gaseous water is far, far less dense than liquid. It is spreading out through the whole room. One kilogram of liquid water takes up an area of about 0.001 cubic meters. One kilogram of steam at normal atmospheric pressure take up about 1.673 cubic meters.