Properties of Water

3. Water's polarity allows it to dissolve a wide range of substances, making it essential for chemical reactions in living organisms and transporting nutrients and waste.
5. Water expands and becomes less dense when it freezes, causing ice to float on liquid water, which insulates aquatic ecosystems in cold climates.
6. The result of cohesive forces at the surface of water, creating a "skin" that allows small objects, like insects, to float or move on water without sinking.
8. Water's ability to absorb and store large amounts of heat without a significant change in temperature, helping to stabilize climates and maintain homeostasis in organisms.
10. The amount of energy required to convert water from liquid to gas, which allows for effective cooling mechanisms, such as sweating in humans.

1. Water molecules have a slightly positive charge on one side and a slightly negative charge on the other, allowing them to form hydrogen bonds with each other and with other polar substances.
2. Water is transparent, allowing light to penetrate, which is crucial for photosynthesis in aquatic environments.
4. The attraction between water molecules due to hydrogen bonding, which allows water to form droplets and creates surface tension.
7. The attraction between water molecules and other substances, which helps water to climb up plant roots and stems in a process called capillary action.
9. Water has a neutral pH of 7, making it neither acidic nor basic, which is ideal for most biochemical processes.