The properties of water

We know that we cannot survive without water, it is essential for life. It has different qualities that make it a unique and highly prized substance. It is the only substance that can be found in all three states of matter (liquid, solid, and gas) naturally on Earth. In its solid form, ice, it is less dense than its liquid form, which is why ice floats.

It has no color, taste or odor. Its freezing point is zero degrees Celsius (°C), while its boiling point is 100 °C (at sea level). It is constantly changing and always on the move, it has a high specific heat index, which means that it has the ability to absorb a lot of heat before its temperature rises. For this reason, water plays an important role as a cooler in industries and helps regulate the change in air temperature during the seasons of the year.

Water has a very high surface tension, which means it is sticky and elastic. They coalesce into droplets instead of separating. This quality provides capillary action to water, that is, it can move through the roots of plants and blood vessels and dissolve substances.

Water is known as the “universal solvent”, since it dissolves more substances than any other liquid and contains valuable minerals and nutrients. Did you know this?

Let’s carry out the following experiment to put what we know about the properties of water into practice!