Eli5: Why does water expand while freezing, and what would happen if it was frozen in pressurized enviroment/container that cannot expand?
In: Physics
It expands because of how the water molecules are shaped and bond together. While liquid they can get very close, to form an ice crystal they have to take a specific orientation to each other. That orientation has pretty large gaps.
If you compress it one of two things happens: it remains liquid or it breaks the container. It takes a lot of pressure to keep it liquid, but it can be done.
This is why engine coolant has antifreeze in it. The pressure exerted by water when freezing is extreme. It will break open the steel of an engine block if it freezes.
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