Ice floats because it is less dense than the water. Something denser than water, like a rock, will sink to the bottom. To be able to float, an object must displace fluid with a weight equal to its own weight. ... As water cools and freezes, it becomes less dense due to the unique nature of hydrogen bonds.

Are ice cubes supposed to float?

Since it's known that solid objects are denser and have more weight than liquids - and ice is a solid - one would automatically think that ice would sink in water. But it doesn't! ... Since the water is heavier, it displaces the lighter ice, causing the ice to float to the top.

At what point does ice start to float?

Right when the water freezes to ice, the ice becomes significantly less dense than the water and continues to float on the lake's surface. Below 4° Celsius, water becomes less dense as it gets colder, causing water about to freeze to float to the top.