When water is heated from 0 degrees Celsius to 10 degrees Celsius, its volume generally increases. This behavior is a result of water's unique thermal properties.
Water, like many substances, undergoes thermal expansion when heated. At temperatures near its freezing point (0 degrees Celsius), water behaves somewhat differently due to the anomalous expansion of water. Anomalous expansion means that water does not follow a simple linear expansion pattern as the temperature rises.
Between 0 degrees Celsius and 4 degrees Celsius, water actually contracts as its temperature increases. This contraction occurs because the structure of water molecules rearranges in a way that temporarily reduces the average separation between them. As a result, the volume of water decreases slightly within this temperature range.
However, once the temperature of water exceeds 4 degrees Celsius, it starts to expand normally like most substances. So, as water is further heated from 4 degrees Celsius to 10 degrees Celsius, its volume increases. The increase in temperature causes the water molecules to move more energetically, which leads to a greater average separation between the molecules and, consequently, an increase in volume.
It's important to note that water is densest at approximately 4 degrees Celsius, and its volume gradually decreases as it approaches its freezing point at 0 degrees Celsius. This behavior has important implications for the ecology of bodies of water since it allows for the existence of aquatic life during winter months when the surface water freezes, protecting the life forms beneath.