Physics · Binding energy per nucleon and its variation with mass number, nuclear fission and fusion

If mass-energy equivalence is taken into account, when water is cooled to form i

If mass-energy equivalence is taken into account, when water is cooled to form ice, the mass of water should

  • A. increase
  • B. remain unchanged
  • C. decrease
  • D. first increase then decrease

Step-by-step solution

According to mass-energy equivalence (E=mc²), when water cools and freezes into ice, it releases latent heat (energy) to the surroundings. This loss of energy corresponds to a loss of mass, so the mass decreases. Although the change is extremely small, theoretically the mass decreases.
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