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Related Concept Videos

Thermal Expansion01:22

Thermal Expansion

The expansion of alcohol in a thermometer is one of many commonly encountered examples of thermal expansion, which is the change in size or volume of a given system as its temperature changes. The most visible example is the expansion of hot air. When air is heated, it expands and becomes less dense than the surrounding air, which then exerts an upward force on the hot air to, for example, make steam and smoke rise, and hot air balloons float. The same behavior happens in all liquids and gases,...
States of Water01:23

States of Water

Water exists in any one of the three classical states: solid (ice), liquid (water), and gas (steam or water vapor). The state of water depends on i) the intermolecular forces that draw molecules together and ii) the kinetic energy that leads to movements that pull them apart.
Water freezes when the intermolecular forces are greater than the kinetic energy. Unlike most other substances, water is less dense in its solid state than in its liquid state. This is because each water molecule can form...
Drying Shrinkage01:21

Drying Shrinkage

When hardened concrete is exposed to air with a relative humidity of less than 100 percent, it begins to lose the free water within its capillaries. As this water evaporates, the water initially adsorbed onto the calcium silicate hydrates migrates towards these now empty spaces and eventually evaporates as well. Over time, as more water leaves, the volume of the concrete decreases, a phenomenon known as drying shrinkage.
A portion of this drying shrinkage can be reversed; if the concrete is...
Heating and Cooling Curves02:44

Heating and Cooling Curves

When a substance—isolated from its environment—is subjected to heat changes, corresponding changes in temperature and phase of the substance is observed; this is graphically represented by heating and cooling curves.
For instance, the addition of heat raises the temperature of a solid; the amount of heat absorbed depends on the heat capacity of the solid (q = mcsolidΔT). According to thermochemistry, the relation between the amount of heat absorbed or released by a substance, q, and its...
Role of Water in Human Biology01:27

Role of Water in Human Biology

Water is the one of the most significant components of the human body; it plays a crucial role in several physiological activities because of its unique physicochemical properties. Importantly, it helps to regulate body temperature and is the chief component of several body fluids.
Water's Solvent Properties
Since water is a polar molecule with slightly positive and slightly negative charges, ions and polar molecules can readily dissolve in it. Therefore, it is referred to as a solvent, a...
Heat and Free Expansion01:24

Heat and Free Expansion

The work done by a thermodynamic system depends not only on the initial and final states but also on the intermediate states—that is, on the path. Like work, when heat is added to a thermodynamic system, it undergoes a change of state, and the state attained depends on the path from the initial state to the final state. Consider an ideal gas cylinder fitted with a piston. When the cylinder is heated at a constant temperature, the gas molecules absorb energy and expand slowly in a controlled...

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Mechanical Expansion of Steel Tubing as a Solution to Leaky Wellbores
09:32

Mechanical Expansion of Steel Tubing as a Solution to Leaky Wellbores

Published on: November 20, 2014

Why does water expand when it cools?

Masakazu Matsumoto1

  • 1Nagoya University Research Center for Materials Science, 1 Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8602 Japan. matto@nagoya-u.jp

Physical Review Letters
|August 8, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Water's density anomaly, often explained by an "icelike" component, is better understood through new findings. Two linear correlations explain this phenomenon without relying on structural heterogeneity.

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Last Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Mechanical Expansion of Steel Tubing as a Solution to Leaky Wellbores
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Area of Science:

  • Physical Chemistry
  • Materials Science
  • Thermodynamics

Background:

  • The density anomaly of water, where liquid water reaches maximum density at 4°C, is a critical phenomenon.
  • Current explanations often invoke a mixture model with low-density, icelike structures dominating upon cooling.
  • This heterogeneity-based model faces challenges from microscopic observations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the origin of water's density anomaly.
  • To reconcile microscopic observations with macroscopic properties.
  • To propose an alternative explanation for the density anomaly that does not rely on structural heterogeneity.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing computer simulations to observe microscopic structural changes in water.
  • Analyzing density fluctuations and local structural differences.
  • Identifying and examining linear correlations between physical parameters.

Main Results:

  • Microscopic density fluctuations exist, but water density decreases homogeneously.
  • Two key linear correlations were identified: bond length versus temperature and contraction versus angular distortion.
  • These correlations successfully reproduce the density anomaly of water.

Conclusions:

  • The density anomaly of water can be explained by intrinsic physical correlations, not by the dominance of heterogeneous icelike structures.
  • The findings challenge the prevailing mixture model based on heterogeneity.
  • This provides a new perspective on the fundamental properties of water.