Question

Water has a number of unique properties that sets it apart from other substances, sometimes called the “anomalies of water.” The most commonly recognized anomalies are: The match between the range of temperatures of liquid water and the “normal” temperatures on earth. Water’s high specific heat (and therefore water’s good coolant/”temperature buffer” properties). Water’s “universal solvent” properties (ability to dissolve a wide range of different substances). The lower density of ice vs. liquid water (the fact that water “expands when freezing”). Water’s high cohesion and high surface tension (its property of “sticking together” strongly, forming droplets and making water surface resist being stretched or broken). Pick 1 of these properties and learn more about how it canbe explained from the viewpoint of attraction forces between molecules and/orother physical properties of water, as well as the significance of these properties for life on earth. You can use the textbook and any other online materials, though you may want to review the articles in the Additional Materials folder of this module/week. Based on the information you have learned, write a thread about 1 of the anomalies, referencing your sources and address the following points: How is the anomaly explained from the viewpoint of the properties of water molecules (if it is relatively clear)? What is the significance of these properties for life on earth? Or, what is the significance for the functioning of the human body? How does this property of water reflect (or play into) God’s design of earth and life?

Answer 1