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These resources have been reviewed and selected by STEM Learning’s team of education specialists for factual accuracy and relevance to teaching STEM subjects in UK schools.

Does Melting Ice Expand?

Produced by Nelson Thornes, this resource helps students look at aspects of how science works. In particular, students are asked to plan an investigation into whether water expands when it freezes or when it thaws. The context is set by considering that in winter many people report burst water pipes when a thaw sets in following a period of freezing temperatures. Are these burst pipes caused by the volume of water in the pipes increasing as the ice changes back to water? Or was the damage done due to the water expanding when it first froze?

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