Properties of water

Properties of water
Properties of water
  1. Water as a chemical it is a small molecule. Water has a low MW: 18, melting point :0°C, boiling point :100°C and it has apparent diameter of 2.5 Ao.
  2. Principle property of water is dipolar nature and hydrogen bonding.
  3. Structure which has both positive and negative charges on the same surface area are called as Polar/bipolar/dipolar structure.

  1. Water has high specific heat, heat of vaporization and heat of fusion.
  2. Amount of energy required to raise the temperature by one gram of water by 1oC is called specific heat. Energy required 4.184 J.
  3. Amount of energy required ired to change one gram of liquid water to water vapour is called as latent heat of vaporization. Energy required is 2452 J at 20oC.
  4. Amount of energy required to change one gram of liquid water to ice is called as latent heat of fusion. Energy required is 335 J.
  5. Water shows very high adhesive and cohesive property. Attraction between the unlike molecules [water and other charged molecules] or ability of a substance to have intermolecular attraction between dissimilar particles are called adhesive property.
  6. Ability of substance to have high enter molecular attraction between similar molecules is called cohesion property.
Adhesive propertyCohesive property

Due to adhesive and cohesive property of water, it develops other four properties.

  1. Water develops high tensile strength: Ability of group of water molecules to withstand high levels of tension or negative pressure without getting separated itself. This property helps in bulk movement of water in plant system.
  2. Water has high surface tension: Force acting invert within the molecules to keep the surface area as small as possible is called as surface tension.
  3. Water develops high capillary force: Ability of liquid to raise to different levels in tubes of narrow diameter is called as capillary force.
  4. Water has low viscosity: Ability of liquid to flow from one region to other region due to cohesion and adhesive property of water is called as viscosity.
  5. Water has high dielectric constant: It is the ability of substance to neutralise the charges present on the surface of another substance is called as dielectric constant. Due this property water is called as universal solvent

Last modified: Thursday, 24 January 2013, 5:59 AM