Why does water that is frozen in an ice cube tray stay in the shape of a cube when it is taken out of the tray?

Question

A. The water particles move very little.

B. The water particles stop moving completely.

C. The water particles grow bigger to fill the space.

D. The water particles can only slip past one another.
(10 Points)

Answer 1

The correct answer is:

A. The water particles move very little.

When water freezes, its particles lose energy and move much less than they do in a liquid state, forming a solid structure that maintains the shape of the container (the ice cube tray). Hence, when the ice is removed, it retains the cubic shape.