The molecular size and charge distribution is almost identical, so the crystals form without distinguishing between H2O and DH2O. It would be rare to find any significant number of molecules of D2O. DH2O ice does not sink, in any case. On Sep 20, 2005, at 6:29 PM, Henry Baker wrote:
So how come we haven't been mining D2O ice from the sea/lake floor? :-) :-)
At 02:54 PM 9/20/2005, Steve Gray wrote:
On Tuesday 20 September 2005 20:24, Eugene Salamin wrote:
Some years ago, RWG thought up the clever question: does heavy ice (frozen heavy water) float in ordinary water?
Regular ice's density is 0.914. Heavy ice (D2O) has two extra nucleons on top of 18 (16 for the O, 1 for each H), so it's 20/18 heavier than 0.914, or about 1.016. Therefore it should sink. The site jchemed.chem.wisc.edu/JCESoft/CCA/CCA2/MAIN/ICECUBE/CD2R1.HTM says that D2O ice sinks, confirming this simple reasoning.
Steve Gray
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