The Properties of Water
A water molecule is made up of two hydrogen atoms bonded to an oxygen atom. Each end of a water molecule has
a slight electric charge. A molecule that has electrically charged areas is called a polar molecule. This uneven
distribution of charges across a molecule making one end positive (H) and the other negative (O) is called polarity. The
positive hydrogen ends of one water molecule attract the negative oxygen ends of nearby water molecules causing them
to stick together like weak magnets. This attraction causes water molecules to form temporary bonds that break easily.
They are called hydrogen bonds.
Many of water's unusual properties occur because of the attraction among its polar molecules. The properties of
water include cohesion, adhesion, capillary action, surface tension, the ability to dissolve
many substances, and high specific heat.
The tendency for water molecules to form weak bonds and stick to each other is called
cohesion. Because of cohesion, water molecules remain joined together as they move within
or between the cells of organisms. A special example of cohesion is surface tension. Surface
tension is a force that acts on the particles at the surface of a liquid. Surface tension is the
tightness across the surface of water that is caused by polar molecules pulling on each other.
In liquid water, each water molecule is pulled in all directions by other water molecules. At
the surface of the water, however, the attractive force of other water molecules pulls only
downward and sideways. This force causes molecules at the surface to be held more tightly
together, forming a kind of skin at the water's surface. Small insects, such as water striders, can walk on water by taking
advantage of this surface tension. It is what causes raindrops to form round beads when they fall onto a car windshield.
Water molecules are not attracted only to each other. Adhesion is the tendency of water to stick to other substances.
You see adhesion at work when you add water to a graduated cylinder. At the surface, water creeps up
slightly at the sides of the cylinder, forming a curved surface called a meniscus. Adhesion allows water to
stick to the sides of blood vessels or to the vascular tubes in plants. Both adhesion and cohesion allow water
to move in one continuous column from a plant's roots to its leaves. This upward movement called capillary
action as seen in the test tubes in the picture is the result of both adhesion to the sides of the glass and
cohesion of the water molecules to each other. Capillary action is the combined force of attraction among water
molecules and with the molecules of surrounding materials causing a liquid to climb upward against the force of gravity.
It allows water to move through materials with pores inside. It also causes water molecules to cling to the fibers of
material like paper and cloth. Capillary action along particular cloth fibers pulls water away from your skin keeping you
dry.
A solution is a mixture that forms when one substance dissolves another. The substance that does the
dissolving is called the solvent. Water is called the universal solvent because it can dissolve more substances than any
other known substance. The main property of water that makes it such a good solvent is its polarity. The charged ends of
the water molecule attract the molecules of other polar substances. (like dissolves like) It can dissolve substances like
sugar, bleach, salt. It can dissolve gases such as carbon dioxide and oxygen. Dissolving salt is an example. As the
negative side of water forms bonds with the Na+ and the positive side is attracted to Cl- ions in a crystal of salt (NaCl), it
pulls these ions into solution, the crystal dissolves. The ability of water to dissolve many substances allows water to
deliver essential nutrients to cells in plants, animals, and other organisms. Water dissolves nutrients in our food. It does
not dissolve nonpolar substances like oil and wax. They don’t like water and are called hydrophobic. (fear water)
Specific heat is the amount of heat needed to increase the temperature of 1 kg of a substance by 1°C. Compared to
other substances, water requires a lot of heat to increase its temperature. The unit of specific heat is joule per kilogram
per degree Celsius (J/kg • 0G). The specific heat of water is very high-4,184 J/kg • °C. Therefore, water takes a long time
to heat up or cool down. Water has a high specific heat because of the strong attraction among water molecules
(cohesion). This property of water allows lakes, streams, and ocean ecosystems to maintain stable temperatures, even if
air temperatures change dramatically. So that the air over water is cooler than the air over land on hot days. The high
specific heat of water also helps your body to maintain a constant internal environment
