Eli5: How does water expand in a closed container? Shouldn’t it shrink and be compact as it forms into a solid which has tighter molecules?

Question

Context: I was trying to figure out why my coke glass bottle exploded in my freezer.

Update: As it turns out, water is a weird one amongst other liquids.

In: 3

Answer 1

Frozen water is a rare material that expands when it freezes. It’s why ice floats. The way the molecules stick together pushes them apart compared to the free floating liquid. Most solids don’t do this.