Stopping Water From Expanding When It Freezes Doesn't Go as Planned

Water's volume increases by 10 percent when it freezes, but could that force break steel?
Derya Ozdemir

Here's a fun fact: When water turns from a liquid to a solid, its volume increases by about 10 percent. You might have already heard about this, but what would happen if you had the water in a container that doesn't expand at all? Would the water stay as a liquid? Or would it still turn into a solid without expanding? Stating that he has gotten this question a lot, The Action Lab tries to stop water from expanding while cooling it, but the experiment takes an interesting turn.

To do the experiment, he fills a steel container with water. Then, capping off the top with another steel cap, he completely freezes it solid and sees if it actually breaks or if the water — ice — can be contained inside.