What is the effect on water level when an ice cube melts in a glass of water?

When an ice cube melts in a glass of water, the water level remains the same due to the principle of buoyancy and displacement. Ice is less dense than liquid water, which is why ice floats. When the ice cube is floating, it displaces a volume of water equal to the weight of the ice.

As the ice melts, it converts from solid (ice) to liquid (water). The volume of water produced from the melting ice is precisely equal to the volume of water that was displaced while the ice was floating. Therefore, the overall water level in the glass does not change because the amount of water added from the melted ice equals the volume of water already displaced by the ice itself.

This concept is consistent with Archimedes’ principle, which states that an object submerged in a fluid displaces a volume of fluid equal to its own weight, not its volume. Thus, as the ice cube melts, the water level remains constant.