Properties of Water

HYDROLOGIST
WATER IS POLAR
Water is a "polar" molecule, meaning
that there is an uneven distribution
of electron density. Water has a
partial negative charge ( ) near the
oxygen atom due the unshared pairs
of electrons, and partial positive
charges ( ) near the hydrogen atoms.
THE UNIVERSAL SOLVENT
Water is capable of dissolving a variety of
different substances, which is why it is such a
good solvent. And, water is called the "universal
solvent" because it dissolves more substances
than any other liquid. ... It is water's chemical
composition and physical attributes that make it
such an excellent solvent.
WATER HAS HIGH HEAT CAPACITY

Water's high heat capacity is a property

caused by hydrogen bonding among water
molecules. When heat is absorbed,
hydrogen bonds are broken and water
molecules can move freely. When the
temperature of water decreases, the
hydrogen bonds are formed and release a
considerable amount of energy.
COOLANT
The most common coolant is water. Its
high heat capacity and low cost makes
it a suitable heat-transfer medium. To
be an effective coolant, a substance has
to have a high specific heat capacity,
meaning it can absorb a lot of heat.
Water's high heat capacity is a property caused
by hydrogen bonding among water molecules.
When heat is absorbed, hydrogen bonds are
broken and water molecules can move freely.
When the temperature of water decreases, the
hydrogen bonds are formed and release a
considerable amount of energy.
WATER IS TRANSPARENT

Water doesn't absorb any of those wavelengths,

so the light passes through it without changing
color and is what we call transparent. ... Water
appears transparent because its molecules do
not absorb light in the visible range which is
the one our eyes can see.
ICE HAS A LESSER DENSITY THAN WATER
The "stuff" (molecules) in
water is more tightly packed
than in ice, so water has
greater density than ice.
Don't let the fact that ice is a
solid fool you! As water
freezes it expands. So, ice
has more volume (it takes
up more space, but has less
density) than water.