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Water covers 70% of the Earth and is a vital substance for life due to its chemical structure. Its unique properties, such as its ability to dissolve substances and its high specific heat, make it a universal solvent. Pressure affects the boiling and freezing points of water. Water’s molecular structure allows it to float when it freezes, which helps aquatic life survive in the winter.
About 70% of the Earth is covered by water. The different properties of water allow it to be labeled one of the most important substances for life on the planet and a lot has to do with its chemical structure. For example, the way hydrogen and oxygen are bonded allows the molecule to dissolve different substances. Also, the way water freezes allows aquatic life to survive throughout the winter.
Two properties of water are its melting point and boiling point. The melting point of water is 32°F (0°C) and the boiling point is 212°F (100°C) at atmospheric pressure. Adding pressure will raise the boiling point and reducing pressure will lower the boiling point. Therefore, water boils at 156°F (69°C) at Mount Everest and at 256°F (about 124°C) at 15 PSI (107 kPa), the pressure under which many pressure cookers operate. Pressure can also cause the freezing point of water to decrease.
Water is made up of two atoms of hydrogen and one of oxygen. The arrangement of these atoms is what makes water a great solvent. Instead of standing straight, the two hydrogen molecules are at an angle of 104.5°, making the molecule look like the silhouette of a cartoon mouse. This allows one side of the molecule – the oxygen side – to be negative while the other side – the hydrogen side – is positive. The different fillers allow various types of substances to dissolve in water.
Because water has this unique makeup, it’s called a universal solvent. Various substances from sugar to salt to acids such as vinegar can be dissolved in water. That’s good news for people who are trying to get water-soluble minerals into their diets, but bad news for anyone looking to dissolve oil in water. Ironically, the same property that makes it possible for water to be a universal solvent is what causes this phenomenon. Oils and fats do not have a charge and the water molecule is more attracted to itself than fat and will therefore gather in one area.
Another interesting property of water is its high specific heat. Specific heat is the measure of how much heat it takes to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1°C. Water can absorb a lot of heat without changing its temperature, so it has a high specific heat. This results in water cooling and heating much slower than the surrounding air.
Ice also has an interesting property. When most things freeze, they get thick and will sink to the bottom of their liquid versions. Water becomes denser as it cools, but as it approaches freezing, it begins to become less dense and floats. This phenomenon helps aquatic life survive in larger lakes during the winter. The surface of the water will freeze, leaving the water below it thawed.
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