How does ice bend or flex on power lines without breaking?

Answer 1

Ice can undergo mild forces, the same as glass, wax, or any other solid or semi solid state material.

The constant force on ice is low enough and constant enough that over a period of hours it actually bends the ice.

An impulse force (or a surge of force exerted over a very small period of time, usually less than one second) would indeed shatter the glass.

This principle that glass is actually a slow moving liquid can be proven by a somewhat simple experiment:

Get a flat strip of ice, however wide, the longer and thinner the better. Place the ice in your freezer with either end on something so that when it bends in the middle it will not hit the bottom of your freezer. Put a light load, like a hammer or text book, on the sheet in the very center. After a day or two, depending on how small your ice strip is, it will be bent. The smaller the strip of ice, the longer it is going to take to bend it.

Then, obviously, if you hit ice with a hammer it will shatter. This is the fun part of the experiment.

Try this with other things, like wax, laffy taffy, glass (but be careful with glass), etc.

Answer 2

Ice on power lines can flex or bend without breaking because the ice is deformable under the applied stress, allowing it to change shape without instantly fracturing. The ice gradually deforms rather than shattering immediately, due to its ability to flow and adjust its shape under pressure. This property of ice enables it to conform to the contours of the power lines without causing them to break.