Thursday, January 2, 2020

Properties of Water

Water is a transparent, odorless, tasteless and colorless liquid. It's chemical name is H2O and it is made up of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom joined together by covalent bonds.

The following figure lists the various properties of water :

Properties of water 

  • Universal solvent 
  • High specific heat 
  • Strong surface tension 
  • Neutral pH
  • High polarity 
  • Lower density of ice
Universal Solvent 
Water can form hydrogen bonds and this property makes it a powerful solvent. It can dissolve a large number of different chemical distances. It is this dissolving power of water that supports life in Earth by carrying dissolved nutrients, minerals and chemicals wherever it goes.

High Specific Heat 
Water has a high specific heat capacity. Specific heat refers to the amount of heat needed to alter the temperature of a substance. Water can absorb and store a lot of heat before it gets hot. This enables it to moderate earth's temperature.

Strong Surface Tension 
Water has a high surface tension. It's high polarity makes its molecules strongly attracted to each other. It's molecules are adhesive and form a layer on its surface. High surface ten is responsible for the capillary action of water and enables it to move through plant roots and stems and even blood vessels in animals. 

Neutral pH 
Water is neither acidic nor basic; it has a neutral pH value 7.

High Polarity 
Water has a high polarity. The hydrogen and oxygen molecules join at an angle with the oxygen atoms at vertex and the hydrogen atoms at tips. The difference in the electric negativity of oxygen and hydrogen atoms makes water a strong polar compound.

Lower Density of Ice 
The density of ice is lower than the density of water. Water expands when it freezes and it's molecules from a crystalline structure which is less dense than liquid water. This enables the inventor float on water and prevent oceans, lakes and rivers from freezing, thereby allowing life to exist on Earth.

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