B.

Water and its Properties

Physical Properties

Pure water is an odourless and tasteless liquid. It has a bluish tint. At atmospheric
pressure ( 760 mm Hg or 760 torr), its freezing point is 0 0C (320F) and boiling point is 1000C ( 2120F).

1. Density
Water is at its maximum density at a temperature of 4 0C to 00C. It is the only liquid that
expands when it freezes. This makes the density of ice lower than that of liquid water and that is why ice
floats on water. We can imagine ice crystals being formed from intermolecularly H-bonded water
molecules as freezing occurs. The H-bonds keep the molecules in fixed positions but with spaces
between (open lattice structure ), which results in lower density for solid water (ice) than liquid water.
2. Boiling Point
Water has a relatively high boiling point ( 100 0C) at 1 atm), which indicates its stability.
Substances of comparable molar mass like ammonia and methane are gases at a temperature that
water is a liquid. If water were to be similar to other liquids on Earth it would boil at normal surface
temperatures and thus, exist only as a gas, then we would not have the much needed water in the liquid
phase for drinking.

Properties of Some Compounds

Compound Molar Mass Boiling Point (0C) Specific Heat (cal/g)
Liquid ammonia 17 -33 1.12
Water 18 100 1.00
Ethanol 46 78.5 0.58
Methanol 32 65 0.60
Acetone 58 56 0.53
Diethyl ether 74 35 0.53
Hexane 86 68.7 0.54
Ethyl acetate 88 77 0.46

2. Specific Heat
The specific heat of water is higher than any commonly known liquid except ammonia.
This means that water takes much longer time to heat up and also to cool down than most substances in
our environment. It can absorb a large amount of heat with only a slight change in temperature. Water
temperature fluctuates less than land temperature such that large bodies of water, like the oceans,
serves as moderating influences on the earth’s climate. Water serves as the earth’s thermal regulator,
considering that more than 70% of the earth’s surface is covered with water.
 3. Solvent Action
Water dissolves more substances than any other common liquid. That is why it is the
most commonly used polar solvent. This property makes water the most effective liquid for transporting
dissolved nutrients, in the blood stream, and eliminating wastes from living tissues in our bodies.
This dissolving ability also explains why water is the most important agent in the erosion
of weathered materials on the earth’s surface and why tropical areas are much more eroded than
deserts. Water that runs over through the surface of the land dissolves many minerals of the rocks and
soil. Unfortunately, this ability is also the reason why water is easily polluted, stays polluted often, and
remains stagnant for a long time. This simply shows that whatever water flows, either through the
ground or through our bodies, it takes along valuable chemicals, minerals and nutrients.
4. Surface Tension
Water has a high surface tension because of strong intermolecular H-bonding.