Chemical properties of water:

Hydrogen Bonds:
Water – a polar molecule – tends to be slightly positive on the hydrogen side and slight negative on the
oxygen side. (See the illustration in the tutorial.) The electrostatic bond between the positive hydrogen
side of this molecule and other negative ions or polar molecules is called a hydrogen bond.

Molecules and ions with which water forms hydrogen bonds (such as sodium chloride) are hydrophilic.
On the other hand, Ions and molecules that do not form hydrogen bonds with water are hydrophobic.

Liquidity at Room Temperature:

At room temperature, most compounds with low molecular weights take gaseous form. With water,
however, hydrogen bonding helps to keep it a liquid at room temperature.

Kept relatively close together, the molecules at room temperature are unable to dissipate sufficiently to
form a gas. Temperatures of 212°F (or 100°C) are required to break the hydrogen bonds and convert
liquid water into water vapor.

Chemical Reactions:
When ionic compounds such as sodium chloride are added to water, hydrogen bonding will tend to pull
those ionic compounds apart. This makes water a natural solvent.

Once ionic compounds dissolve, their anions and cations circulate through the water allowing further
reactions to occur. Thus, water also sponsors and facilitates chemical reactions.

Stable Temperatures:
Water takes more heat to raise its temperature than other common compounds, since much of that heat is
required to first break the hydrogen bonds.

Water also retains heat, so its temperature falls slowly.

This means that larger systems of water (such as the ocean or a body) tend to maintain more or less
constant temperatures, which in turn helps the earth (and us) to maintain relatively constant temperatures.

Interstitial hydrates:
Water is present in some compounds as interstitial water such as BaCl 2.

Amphoteric nature of water:

Amphoteric substance is that substance which has ability to donate as well as accept a Proton.

According to Bronsted -Lowry concept,bases stronger than water,tend to accept proton from it.Thus by
donating proton,water acts as an acid.

H₂O + NH₃ <==> OH- + NH₄+

While acid stronger than water,like HCl ,tend to donate proton to water.Thus by accepting proton from
such strong acids,water acts as base.

H₂O + HCl <===> H₃O+ + Cl-

Thus water can donate as well as accept proton and show amphoteric nature.

Hydrolysis:
Hydrolysis is the process by which chemical compounds are broken apart by the addition of water. It
comes from the Greek words for "water" and "separation."

The general formula of a hydrolysis reaction is:

AB + H2O → AH + BOH

Hydrolysis Examples:

NH4Cl +H2O → NH4 + H^+ +Cl^-

AlCl3 + H2O → Al(OH)3 + 3H^+ + 3Cl^-

Hydrates formation:
Chemical compound. Hydrate, any compound containing water in the form of H2O molecules, usually,
but not always, with a definite content of water by weight. The best-known hydrates are crystalline
solids that lose their fundamental structures upon removal of the bound water,e.g CuSO4.5H2O.