> As for the water level in the beaker: as the temperature drops, the water level also should drop -- technically speaking -- because the average density of the water-in-water system is decreasing. And as Don says, the water level will rise once more after the ice is completely melted. However, for most practical purposes, the water level does not change. That's because the density of water at 25ºC is 0.9970479 g/cm3; at 17ºC it's 0.9987779; and at 3.98ºC it's 1.0000 g/cm3. At 0ºC it has slightly decreased again to 0.9998425 g/cm3. These differences in density are so miniscule that to the naked eye there will be no change in water level. The only big difference occurs when all the water actually freezes into pure ice at 0ºC, where it has a expanded and lighter density of 0.917 g/cm3.

Yes, that was something I wished to emphasize a little more in my original post-- the drop in water level due to the density change will be VERY slight. I like the word "slight", but at times like this, it does not convery the meaning very well. Words like "miniscule" (as Wolfspirit said) or "infinitesmal" or "invisible to the naked eye" (I don't care if that one is four words) are better ways of describing the drop in water level. Of course, today being Friday, I don't know if Wolf and I got this info posted in time. Actually, this entire post from me is a big ol' smokescreen. There's only one thing I wanted to say, so I'll just say all this and sneak in my (rather short) question in my name quote.

Don "Gahalia = Ava = City_Of_Grove? I think I have this figured out now..." Monkey