Download Water is H2O. Water is a polar molecule. Water can dissolve other

Water is H2O. Water is a polar molecule. Water can dissolve other polar substances. Water can dissolve
many salts which are ionic substances. Water is often called the universal solvent or a super solvent.
The reason this is important is that chemical reactions occur when dissolved molecules come in contact
with each other. Water is denser as a liquid than as a solid (ice). In the winter, when lakes freeze it
insulates the water below it to allow organisms to live. Water is used to break polymers into monomers
in hydrolysis. Water has a high heat of evaporation so it helps to cool the environment and us as sweat
evaporates from our skin and removes heat from our bodies. Water has high heat capacity which means
it can absorb a lot of heat without changing temperature. Water has high surface tension because of
the polar molecules and the tendency for water molecules to stick together. Surface tension allows
bubbles to form and cohesion helps it travel up roots and stems of a plant. Water sticks to other
surfaces so if you pour water in the soil surrounding a plant, it will “crawl” along soil particles and
eventually get to roots.