Why is water so weird compared to other molecules?
It breaks almost every rule in chemistry - and life depends on that.
The answer
Water has anomalous properties because of hydrogen bonding between its molecules. It is one of very few substances that expands when it freezes (which is why ice floats and lakes don't freeze solid, protecting aquatic life). It has an unusually high heat capacity, which stabilizes Earth's climate. It has high surface tension, allowing insects to walk on it. And it is an exceptional solvent that dissolves more substances than any other common liquid. Without these 'weird' properties, life as we know it could not exist.
Source: Chemical Reviews
- water
- chemistry
- hydrogen bonding
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