Which statement best describes the relative volumes occupied by liquid water and ice, assuming equal masses?

• A. Liquid water occupies more volume than ice.
• B. Both ice and liquid water have the same density.
• C. Ice and liquid water occupy the same volume.
• D. Ice occupies more volume than liquid water.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall the relationship between density, mass, and volume, which is given by the formula: \(\text{Density} = \frac{\text{Mass}}{\text{Volume}}\).
2. Since the problem states equal masses of liquid water and ice, compare their densities to understand their relative volumes.
3. Know that the density of liquid water is approximately 1.00 g/cm³, while the density of ice is about 0.92 g/cm³, meaning ice is less dense than liquid water.
4. Because density is inversely proportional to volume for a fixed mass, the substance with lower density (ice) will occupy a larger volume than the substance with higher density (liquid water).
5. Therefore, for equal masses, ice occupies more volume than liquid water due to its lower density.