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In severe winter, in cold countries water pipes burst because
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- water expands on freezing
- contraction of water pipes
- high atmospheric pressure
- combined effect of all the above three
- water expands on freezing
Correct Option: A
Most liquids have a quite simple behavior when they are cooled (at a fixed pressure): they shrink. The liquid contract as it is cooled; because the molecules are moving slower they are less able to overcome the attractive intermolecular forces drawing them closer to each other. Then the freezing temperature is reached, and the substance solidifies, which causes it to contract some more because crystalline solids are usually tightly packed. Water is one of the few exceptions to this behavior. When liquid water is cooled, it contracts like one would expect until a temperature of approximately 4 degrees Celsius is reached. After that, it expands slightly until it reaches the freezing point, and then when it freezes it expands by approximately 9%.