---
title: "Does ice float in water? Yes"
description: "Ice floats — its density is 917 kg/m³ against water's 1,000. Why density and not weight decides it."
url: https://atoneplace.net/does-it-float/ice/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Does ice float?

**Does ice float?: Yes**

917 kg/m³ against water's 1,000

Ice floats. At 917 kg/m³ it is 1.09 times less dense than water, so about 92% of it sits below the surface and the rest above.

## Why

Floating is decided by density alone — mass divided by volume — compared against the fluid. Weight has nothing to do with it directly: a 200-tonne ship floats and a 2-gram pebble sinks, because the ship encloses enough air to bring its average density below that of water. That is also the only reason a steel hull works.

## The numbers

- **Density:** 917 kg/m³
- **Relative to fresh water:** 0.917×
- **Floats in fresh water:** Yes
- **Floats in seawater:** Yes
- **Proportion submerged:** 92%

## Compared with other materials

| Material | Density | Floats |
| --- | --- | --- |
| western red cedar | 370 kg/m³ | Yes |
| spruce | 430 kg/m³ | Yes |
| pine | 500 kg/m³ | Yes |
| Douglas fir | 530 kg/m³ | Yes |
| mahogany | 590 kg/m³ | Yes |
| plywood | 600 kg/m³ | Yes |
| black walnut | 610 kg/m³ | Yes |
| OSB | 640 kg/m³ | Yes |
| particleboard | 650 kg/m³ | Yes |
| teak | 655 kg/m³ | Yes |

## Common questions

### Does ice float in water?

Yes — at 917 kg/m³ it is less dense than water.

### Does weight decide whether something floats?

No, density does. A 200-tonne ship floats and a small pebble sinks, because the ship encloses enough air to bring its average density below water.

## Related pages

- [Ice properties](https://atoneplace.net/material/ice/)
- [Does air float?](https://atoneplace.net/does-it-float/air/)
- [Does expanded polystyrene foam float?](https://atoneplace.net/does-it-float/eps-foam/)
- [Does rigid polyurethane foam float?](https://atoneplace.net/does-it-float/polyurethane-foam/)
- [Does EVA foam float?](https://atoneplace.net/does-it-float/eva-foam/)
- [Does balsa float?](https://atoneplace.net/does-it-float/balsa/)
- [Does corrugated cardboard float?](https://atoneplace.net/does-it-float/cardboard/)
- [Does cork float?](https://atoneplace.net/does-it-float/cork/)
- [Does western red cedar float?](https://atoneplace.net/does-it-float/cedar/)

## Sources

- United States Geological Survey — USGS (https://www.usgs.gov/) [Public domain (US Government)]