Lesson 1.

4
The Structure and Unique Properties of Water
Contents
Introduction 1

Learning Objectives 2

Warm Up 2

Learn about It! 4

The Structure of Water 4
Lewis Structure of Water 4
Molecular Geometry of Water 5
Polarity of Water 6
Intermolecular Forces of Attraction 7
Properties of Water 8
Boiling Point 8
Universal Solvent 8
Heat Capacity 12
Phases of Water 13

Key Points 15

Check Your Understanding 15

Challenge Yourself 17

Bibliography 17
Unit 1: Intermolecular Forces of Attraction and Solids and Liquids

Lesson 1.4

The Structure and Unique

Properties of Water

Introduction
Have you ever thought about why researchers keep looking for traces of water on other
planets? This is mainly because water is essential to life. All life on Earth depends on water.
We, as humans, use water for drinking, cooking, cleaning, and making other substances. If
a planet has liquid water in it, then there is a chance that life, similar to Earth, may exist. In
this lesson, you will learn about the unique properties of water that make it suitable for life.

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Unit 1: Intermolecular Forces of Attraction and Solids and Liquids

Learning Objectives DepEd Competency

Explain the properties of water

In this lesson, you should be able to do the
with its molecular structure and
following: intermolecular forces
● Describe the structure of water. (STEM_GC11IMF-IIIa-c-103).

● Identify the interaction of water

molecules.
● Relate the intermolecular forces on
the properties of water.

Warm Up

WATER We Going To Do?

Do you still remember the different properties of liquids? This activity will focus on the
boiling point and freezing point of one particular liquid—water.

Materials
● distilled water
● ice
● table salt
● thermometer
● beakers, 250 mL
● test tube
● hotplate

Procedure
A. The Boiling Point of Water
1. Fill the beaker with 100 mL distilled water.
2. Dip the thermometer in the water inside the beaker. Make sure that it does not
touch the sides of the beaker.
3. Heat the beaker over a hotplate.
4. Record the temperature at which the water starts to boil in Table 1.4.1.

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Unit 1: Intermolecular Forces of Attraction and Solids and Liquids

B. The Freezing Point of Water

1. Fill the test tube ⅓ full with distilled water.
2. Dip the thermometer in the water inside the test tube.
3. Add ice and salt to a 250 mL beaker.
4. Insert the test tube-thermometer setup inside the beaker. Make sure it is well
surrounded by ice.
5. Record the temperature at which the water freezes in Table 1.4.1. Note that if the
temperature drops below 0 ℃ and the water does not freeze, you may add a small
crystal of ice inside the tube.

C. The Boiling and Freezing Points of Other Liquids

1. Research on the boiling point and freezing point of the following liquids in Table
1.4.2. Write your answers in the same table.
2. Answer the guide questions that follow.

Data Tables
Table 1.4.1. Boiling and freezing points of water

Property Temperature

Boiling point (℃)

Freezing point (℃)

Table 1.4.2. Boiling and Freezing points of other liquids

Boiling point Freezing point

Substance (liquid state)
(℃) (℃)

Acetone

Ethanol

Methane

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Unit 1: Intermolecular Forces of Attraction and Solids and Liquids

Guide Questions
1. What is the observed boiling point for water? What is the observed melting point for
water?
2. Why does adding an ice crystal when the temperature drops below zero aid in the
freezing of water?
3. How does the boiling point and freezing point of water relate to those of methane,
acetone, and ethanol? Explain the trend.

Learn about It!

The Structure of Water

What is the molecular shape of water?

Water is represented by the chemical formula H2O. As you have learned from the previous
lessons, a compound can be represented in terms of its Lewis structures.

Lewis Structure of Water

Let us recall how to draw Lewis structures of substances.

Step 1: Determine the number of valence electrons in each constituent element of

the compound.

Step 2: Determine the total number of valence electrons present in the covalent
compound. This is simply the sum of all valence electrons present in each
constituent element.

Step 3: Draw the skeleton structure of the molecule.

Step 4: Distribute the valence electrons to form the Lewis structure.

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Unit 1: Intermolecular Forces of Attraction and Solids and Liquids

Step 5: If the valence electrons seem to be deficient to satisfy the octet rule for each
element, multiple bonds can be drawn to satisfy the rule. In this compound,
all atoms follow the octet rule.

For water, the Lewis structure is shown below.

Take note that the hydrogen atoms are bonded to an oxygen atom. Oxygen (𝛘 = 3.44) has a
higher electronegativity value (𝛘) than hydrogen (𝛘 = 2.20). The electronegativity difference
between the two atoms in the bonds is 1.24. This means that the bonds present are polar.

Molecular Geometry of Water

In order to determine whether the molecule is polar, we need to determine its molecular
geometry.

The molecular geometry of water can be determined using the following steps:

Step 1: Draw the Lewis structure.

Step 2: Count the total number of electron domains of the central atom.

Step 3: Identify the electron domain geometry of the molecule.

Step 4: Identify the molecular group geometry and the bond angles between atoms in
the molecule.

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Unit 1: Intermolecular Forces of Attraction and Solids and Liquids

Table 1.4.3. Common electron-pair geometries and molecular geometries for a certain
number of electron dense areas

Based on the Lewis structure of water, there are four electron domains around the central
atom O. This means that the electron domain geometry of water is tetrahedral. Since there
are two lone pairs present, the molecular geometry of water is bent.

Polarity of Water
From the given structure, we can draw dipole moments to determine whether the molecule
is polar or nonpolar. Since oxygen is more electronegative than hydrogen, then the dipole
moment moves towards the oxygen atom. Based on the geometry, the dipole moments do
not cancel out. This means that the water molecule is polar.

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Unit 1: Intermolecular Forces of Attraction and Solids and Liquids

Fig. 1.4.1. The dipole moment of water

Remember
Water has four electron domains around the central atom (O). It has
two single bonds and two lone pairs. Its electron domain geometry
is tetrahedral, and its molecular geometry is bent.

Intermolecular Forces of Attraction

What are the intermolecular forces present in

water?

Water is an electrically neutral molecule. It exhibits

London dispersion forces. As discussed previously,
water is polar and it exhibits dipole-dipole
interactions. In water, the hydrogen atoms are
directly bonded to the oxygen atom, enabling water
molecules to exhibit hydrogen bonding. Hydrogen
bonding is an attractive force that exists when
hydrogen is bonded to the most electronegative
atoms, namely F, O, or N. Much of the unique
properties of water are owed to the hydrogen
bonding capacity of water.

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Unit 1: Intermolecular Forces of Attraction and Solids and Liquids

Properties of Water

What are the unique properties of water?

Table 1.4.4. Some properties of water

Property Value

Specific heat capacity (liquid water) 4.18 (J/g ✕ ºC)

Specific heat capacity (water vapor) 2.11 (J/g ✕ ºC)

Specific heat capacity (ice) 2.00 (J/gºC))

Melting point 0 ºC

Boiling point 100 ºC

Boiling Point
Among the group VIA hydrides, water has the highest boiling point. This is due to the
presence of hydrogen bonds in water, which makes it more difficult to break the
interactions between particles.

Among the period 2 nonmetallic hydrides, water has the highest boiling point. If you recall
the structure of water, it can be seen that one molecule of water can act as a hydrogen
bond acceptor and donor twice. This makes stronger interactions in water than in ammonia
or hydrogen fluoride.

Universal Solvent
Water is known to be the universal solvent due to its capacity to dissolve a wide variety of
substances. Its ability to dissolve ionic solids stems from the polarity of the water molecule.
When ionic compounds are dissolved in water, the ions break apart, and each ion will be
surrounded by water molecules, forming hydration spheres. These keep the ions from
interacting and reforming the ionic compound.

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Unit 1: Intermolecular Forces of Attraction and Solids and Liquids

Fig. 1.4.3. Boiling points of different liquids

Fig. 1.4.4. Hydrogen bonding in water

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Unit 1: Intermolecular Forces of Attraction and Solids and Liquids

Consider the dissolution of sodium chloride in water. When sodium chloride is dissolved,
the sodium cation and chloride anion are surrounded by water molecules.

Fig. 1.4.5.. The cation is attracted to the partially negative end of the molecule while the
anion is attracted to the partially positive end of the molecule.

The interaction between sodium ions (Na+) and chloride ions (Cl–), as shown in Fig. 1.4.5, is
an example of the ion-dipole interactions water can exhibit. The partially positive regions in
water molecules (the hydrogen atoms) interact with the anion. On the other hand, the
partially negative region of water molecules (the oxygen atom) interacts with the cation.
Aside from the ion-dipole interactions, water can also exhibit dipole-dipole interactions with
another water molecule or any other polar molecule. Water, being polar, can only interact
via London dispersion forces with nonpolar molecules. Since there is a weak interaction,
water will form an immiscible mixture with a nonpolar liquid, distinguished by the
appearance of separate layers.

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Unit 1: Intermolecular Forces of Attraction and Solids and Liquids

Ion-dipole interaction in water

Dipole-dipole interactions of polar compounds with water

Recall that there are molecules that contain both polar and nonpolar groups. These
molecules are called amphipathic molecules. An example of this type of molecule is fatty
acids and their salts. Fatty acids, such as palmitic acid, contain a long hydrophobic tail and a
hydrophilic head.

Structure of amphipathic molecules

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Unit 1: Intermolecular Forces of Attraction and Solids and Liquids

When amphipathic molecules are placed in

water, they aggregate and form a structure
called a micelle. A micelle is a globular
assembly of fatty acids, wherein the
hydrophobic tails are hidden inside the
structure, and the hydrophilic heads are
exposed to the surrounding water
molecules. This occurs since there are
stronger interactions between the polar
heads and the surrounding water
molecules.

Heat Capacity
As discussed from the previous lesson,
heat capacity is the amount of heat
required to raise the temperature of a
substance by one degree Celsius. Specific
heat capacity, on the other hand, refers to
the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of a substance by one
degree Celsius. For liquid water, the specific heat capacity is 4.18 (J/g ✕ ºC).

Table 1.4.5. Specific heats of common substances at 25ºC

Specific heat, c Specific heat, c

Substance Substance
(J/g ✕ ºC) (J/g ✕ ºC)

liquid water 4.18 magnesium 1.024

water vapor 2.11 aluminum 0.903

ice 2.00 iron 0.449

dry air 1.01 zinc 0.389

granite 0.79 copper 0.385

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Unit 1: Intermolecular Forces of Attraction and Solids and Liquids

Water has a high heat capacity due to the strong intermolecular bonds it has. Recall that
from the kinetic molecular theory, temperature is defined as the measure of the average
kinetic energy of the particles. The weaker the intermolecular forces of attraction are, the
easier it is to move the particles. Faster movement of particles comprising a substance
results in a higher temperature. Since there are strong hydrogen bonds present in water,
these hydrogen bonds are able to absorb the energy in the form of heat. This results in the
ability of water to absorb more energy without significantly changing the temperature.

Remember
Heat capacity is an extensive property, while specific heat is an
intensive property.

Phases of Water
Water, like all matter, can exist as a solid (ice), liquid (water), or gas (steam). Solids typically
have a more compact arrangement of particles than liquids and gases. However, this is not
true for water. Ice is less dense than liquid water. Density is defined as the mass per unit
volume. The more compact the particle arrangement is, the higher the density will be. When
liquid water solidifies to ice, it arranges itself based on the hydrogen bonding requirements.
For water, it is the hydrogen bonds that hold the crystalline structure of water. When a
hydrogen bond is formed, the hydrogen donor-hydrogen acceptor-hydrogen atom bond
should be at an angle of 180º. Because of this spatial requirement, the water molecules are
pushed farther apart from each other, which makes ice less dense than water. This can be
seen in Fig. 1.4.6.

What happens to the volume of water when ice

melts?

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Unit 1: Intermolecular Forces of Attraction and Solids and Liquids

Fig. 1.4.6. Nanoscale representation for the states of water.

Did You Know?

It is because ice is less dense than water that life in bodies of water

persists even at subzero temperatures. At temperatures below zero

degrees Celsius, water solidifies, forming ice. During winter,

temperatures reach lower than zero degrees Celsius, which causes

lakes and rivers to freeze. Since ice is less dense than water, it is

only the top portions of these bodies of water that freezes up. The

lower portion remains in a liquid state. This allows fishes and other

marine organisms to survive even during winter.

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Unit 1: Intermolecular Forces of Attraction and Solids and Liquids

Key Points
___________________________________________________________________________________________

● Water is a polar molecule with a bent geometry.

● The intermolecular forces present in water are:
○ London dispersion forces
○ dipole-dipole interactions
○ hydrogen bonding
● Water is the universal solvent since it can dissolve a wide variety of solutes.
● The water’s high boiling point and heat capacity are both due to the strong
hydrogen bonds present in water molecules.
● The specific heat, denoted by symbol c, is defined as the heat required to increase
the temperature of a gram of a substance by one degree Celsius. It has a unit of J/(g
ºC).
● Heat capacity is used to denote the amount of heat required to increase the
temperature of a substance by one degree Celsius. It has a unit of J/ºC.
● Liquid water is more dense than ice due to the geometrical and spatial restrictions
of the hydrogen bonds.
___________________________________________________________________________________________

Check Your Understanding

A. Identify the terms described in each of the following

items.

___________________________ 1. It is the type of covalent compound that applies to

water.

___________________________ 2. It is the molecular geometry of water.

___________________________ 3. It is the amount of heat needed to increase the

temperature of a gram of a substance by one degree
Celsius.

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Unit 1: Intermolecular Forces of Attraction and Solids and Liquids

___________________________ 4. It is the amount of heat needed to increase the

temperature of a substance by one degree Celsius.

___________________________ 5. It is defined as mass per unit volume.

___________________________ 6. It is the strongest intermolecular force that exists for

water.

___________________________ 7. It is the weakest intermolecular force present in

water.

___________________________ 8. It is the number of times one water molecule can act

as a hydrogen bond donor.

___________________________ 9. It is the number of times one water molecule can act

as a hydrogen bond acceptor.

___________________________ 10. It is the number of single bonds present in water.

B. Write T if the following statement is true. Otherwise,

write F.

_______ 1. Water is essential to life.

_______ 2. The strong London dispersion force in water causes it to have a relatively
high boiling point and heat capacity.

_______ 3. Specific heat is extensive, while heat capacity is intensive.

_______ 4. Specific heat is always positive, while heat capacity can be positive or
negative.

_______ 5. Solid water (ice) is denser than liquid water.

C. Answer the following.

1. Demonstrate how water can dissolve a variety of substances.

2. Sketch the molecules of water in its different states.

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Unit 1: Intermolecular Forces of Attraction and Solids and Liquids

Challenge Yourself

Answer the following.

1. Relate the densities of the different states of water to ice skating.

2. Relate the properties of water to its important role in maintaining life.
3. Compare the boiling points of all group VIA hydrides. Explain the trend.
4. Compare the boiling points of all period 2 nonmetal hydrides. Explain the trend.
5. Examine what will happen to life if water did not exhibit hydrogen bonding.

Bibliography
Ebbing, Darrell and Steven Gammon. 2016. General Chemistry. Boston: Cengage Learning.

Hill, James C., Theodore L. Brown, H. Eugene LeMay, Bruce Edward. Bursten, Catherine J.
Murphy, Patrick M. Woodward, and Matthew Stoltzfus. Chemistry: The Central Science,
13th Edition. NJ: Pearson, 2015. Print.

Nelson, David L., Cox, and Michael M. Lehninger. Biochemistry, 5th edition. Print. New York,
USA. W.H. Freeman and Company, 2008. Print.

Petrucci, Ralph H. General Chemistry: Principles and Modern Applications. Toronto, Ont.:
Pearson Canada, 2011.

Voet, Donald, Voet, and Voet, Judith G. Biochemistry, 4th edition. John Wiley and Sons, 2011.
Print.

1.4. The Structure and Unique Properties of Water 17