Jacob has a bucket of ice. He covers the bucket with a lid and sets it in the sun. The ice melts into liquid water. How does the mass of the ice compare with the mass of the water?

Question

A.
The mass of the ice is less than the mass of the water.
B.
The mass of the ice is more than the mass of the water.
C.
The mass of the ice is the same as the mass of the water.
D.
There is no way to determine this from the information given.

Answer 1

The correct answer is C. The mass of the ice is the same as the mass of the water.

When ice melts, it changes from solid to liquid, but the total mass remains the same during the phase change. Therefore, the mass of the ice before melting will equal the mass of the water after melting, provided no mass is lost during the process (which is the case here since it's covered).