Question

What are the four main properties of water, and what causes them?

Answer 1

Water is a polar inorganic compound. It is a tasteless and odorless liquid at room temperature. It is universal solvent, because it has ability to dissolve many substances. It is the most abundant and the only common substance to exist as a solid, liquid, and gas on Earth's surface.

The unique properties of water, which help to make life possible on this planet.

1. The Cohesion of Water The cohesion of water is the process of hydrogen bonding of water molecules to other water molecules. This property is important in plants. The evaporation of water from the leaves of a tree, in effect, pulls on the other water molecules through their cohesive hydrogen bonds. This bonding expands to the roots of the tree pulling water directly from the soil.

2. Frozen Water expands, when water freezes it becomes less dense than its liquid form. Therefore it floats. The ice layer on the surface insulates the heat of the water below, which permits suitable water temperatures for life. This is significant to prevent a runaway freezing effect on the bodies of water. If water is more dense in solid form then it freezes at the surface and then sink to the bottom.

3. Water as a solvent - The polarity of the water molecule make water a great solvent. Ionic compounds can be dissolved in water because of the negative charge of the oxygen atom and the positive charge of the hydrogen atoms. The water molecules contain the oppositely charged ions of attraction to their polar charges. The water molecules form a hydration shell, which separates the ions and the compound is dissolved. Water is as a solvent and important substance in all life functions.

4. Specific heat - Hydrogen bonding is at work providing water with high specific heat. The specific heat of a substance is the amount of heat, which absorbs or lost into change the temperature of one gram of that substance 1^o Celsius. The breaking of hydrogen bonds needs the absorption of heat. On the backside the bonding process releases energy. The result show heat is added to much of water and used in the breaking of hydrogen bonds and very little in increase the temperature of the water. The water maintains and cools more hydrogen bonds form and releases energy in heat.