Structure and

Properties of
Water
Wa t e r m a k e s u p a l a r g e p r o p o r t i o n o f t h e e n t i r e b i o s p h e r e ,
where 95% is saltwater, and the remaining 5% is
f r e s h w a t e r.
Wa t e r i s l o c k e d u p i n i c e a n d g l a c i e r s , d e e p a n d s h a l l o w
underground lakes, soil, atmosphere, and rivers. The
human body consists of 50-75% w a t e r. Wa t e r serves
important purposes for life on earth. Wa t e r ' s unique
properties result from the strong intermolecular force of
attraction characterized by the hydrogen bond.
 Properties of Water

• Boiling point and freezing point -water at sea level

boils at 100 0 C and freezes at 0 0 C
latent heat—the heat required to
change water from one phase to another.
• Specific heat. Specific heat refers to the amount of heat needed to
change the temperature of 1 gram of a substance by 1 oC. For
water, its specific heat is 1cal/g o C or 4186.79 Joule per kilogram.
• It means that water can absorb and release large quantities of heat
without a change in temperature
• Density in its liquid form. Water is the only substance that
contracts when cooled. For most substances, their solid form is
denser than their liquid form. This is because the H-bond is more
extensive in its solid state than in its liquid state.
• Surface tension. The hydrogen bond formation among water
molecules causes water to have high surface tension. Water's
surface tension can hold a weight that would normally sink.

• Examples: You can carefully float a paper clip on top of the

• water. Some aquatic insects, such as the water strider or pond
skater, rely on surface tension to walk on water.
• Thermal properties - Water absorbs or releases more heat than
many substances for each degree of temperature increase or
decrease. Because of this, it is widely used for cooling and for
transferring heat in thermal and chemical processes.
• Heat of vaporization. A large amount of heat is needed to vaporize
a given amount of water. This causes a significant drop in
temperature during evaporation. When molecules of water absorb
heat energy, they move fast in the water.
• Eventually, the speed of movement of some molecules becomes so
fast, allowing them to overcome the intermolecular attraction,
detach from the multi-molecular water, form bubbles, and leave the
water surface in the gas state. This property of water helps to cool
down the body of living organisms. This is called evaporative
cooling.