Properties of Water
Water is two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen.Water is a polar molecule. The hydrogen carries a slightly positive charge and the oxygen carries a slightly negative charge Hydrogen bonding is responsible for the unique properties of water such as cohesion; when water molecules attract to each other. The attraction of molecules helps create surface tension. Water's attraction to other materials is adhesion. Atoms An atom is the smallest unit of matter that retains it's properties. Protons have a positive charge, electrons have a negative charge and neutrons hold a neutral charge. Water is a Polar Molecule: Shared electrons spend more time around the oxygen atom than the hydrogen atom. The hydrogen atom carries a slightly positive charge while the oxygen atom carries a slightly negative charge. In other words, the oxygen atom is negative and the hydrogen atom is positive. Because of that, the oxygen atom and the hydrogen atoms are attracted to each other. Hydrogen Bonding is a weak attraction between the weakly positive hydrogen atoms and the weakly negative oxygen atoms of a different molecule. Hydrogen bonding is responsible for the unique properties of water. That's mean they all gather together to make water. Water is a Universal Solvent: Polarity of water gives it the ability to dissolve most compounds. The positive hydrogen side of water is attracted to the negative parts of the compound it is dissolving. Negative oxygen is attracted to the positive parts. This allows water to dissolve and break apart ionically charged substances. Cohesion is when water is attracted to other water molecules. This helps trees pull water high up into their branches. Water is able to pull itself into a shape with the smallest amount of surface area. Surface tension is the attraction of water molecules to themselves helps to create a "film" on the surface of bodies of water. Small critters can "walk" across the water. Adhesion is when water is attracted to other materials. |