Question

The chemical formula of ice is:
A. \[{H_2}\]
B. \[{O_2}\]
C. \[{H_2}O\]
D. \[{H_2}{O_2}\]

Answer 1

Hint: Try to recall that when the temperature of water falls below 0 degree Celsius, tiny crystals called ice begin to form and grow. They fuse together making bigger crystals. Now, by using this you can easily answer the given question.

Complete step by step solution:
It is known to you that heat is the external effect of random motions of molecules.
But, when water is cooled near the freezing point i.e. near 0 degree Celsius, the molecules gradually lose energy.
The slower molecules find it harder and harder to bounce out of reach of the intermolecular forces trying to hold them together in a solid crystal.
Eventually, somewhere in the water, a random set of hydrogen bonds coalesces spontaneously into a tiny ordered arrangement and in this way, ice is formed from water.
When water freezes, it forms ice which is a crystalline form of water.
In normal hexagonal ice, each oxygen atom is tetrahedrally surrounded by four other oxygen atoms, i.e., there is a hydrogen atom between each pair of oxygen atoms. This gives ice an open cage like structure.
Since, ice is a crystalline form of water, so the chemical formula of ice is the same as that of water and the chemical formula of water is \[{H_2}O\].
Therefore, from above we can easily conclude that option C is the correct option to the given question.

Note: It should be remembered that the molecules of water are not closely packed in the crystal lattice of ice. In other words, there exist a number of vacant spaces in the crystal lattice and hence the density of ice is lower than that of liquid water.