Properties of Water

Learning About H2O

Definition of “property”

nounA special quality of something.

Structure of WaterEach water molecule contains

two atoms of hydrogen

H H

and one atom of oxygen

O

Charges of Atoms

hydrogen atoms have a positive charge

H

+H

+oxygen atoms have a negative charge

-O

H

+

H +O

-

H

+

H +O

-

This is why the oxygen atom and the hydrogen atoms are attracted to each other and they bond together.

“opposites attract”H

+

H +O

- H

+

H +O

-H

+

H +O

-

H

+

H +O

-

H

+

H +O

-

H

+

H +O

-

Surface Tension

The strong attraction of opposite charges makes the water molecules hold on to each other so tight that water often form into drops rather than spread out into a thin layer. Therefore, one of water’s properties is that it has high surface tension.

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The Universal SolventWater’s polarity (a lopsided electrical charge that attracts other atoms) is another one of its properties. Water's polarity allows it to dissolve other polar substances very easily because its positive ends will attract the negative ends of other polar substances, and vice versa. This attraction causes molecules of other substances to mix with water molecules, which is how they are dissolved.

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