The Beauty And Science Of Water

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With all the snow disruptions hitting the UK I thought I would look at the science behind water.

Water is the most important chemical compound on our planet, it covers 71% of our planet and is vital for all life. Water is a covalently bonded polar molecule, with the oxygen being slightly negative and the hydrogen being slightly positive with hydrogen bonding between molecules.

The properties of H2O make it perfect for providing life. Water has a high latent heat of vaporisation which put simply means that when water becomes a gas it removes energy from the source of where the water was. So when animals sweat energy is removed from the body and homoeostasis is maintained. Also, water has a high specific heat capacity which put simply again means it takes a lot of energy to raise a kg of water by 1 degrees Celsius. This means that water remains at a fairly constant temperature in large amounts which is vital for ensuring life continues by the little variation in oceans and seas.

Ice, wonderful ice. When water freezes it becomes ice which is 9% less dense, a property which is vitally important. Frozen water is less dense than liquid water, so floats and prevents whole bodies of water from freezing over and acts instead as a layer of insulation.

Water is a biological solvent that is needed for processes in organisms, it is transparent so aquatic plants can photosynthesise. The surface tension of water gives a suitable habitat for organisms such as pond skaters and the water supports marine animals with the pressure.

Water is often overlooked on a daily basis as simply something to drink, cook and clean with, but water provides all life and ensures life continues.