Text, Design, and Illustrations
By Graham Stark
Evolutionarily speaking, life on planet earth has evolved
to utilize the properties of water and is completely
dependent upon it. Water is the
greatest occurring liquid found on our planet and living organisms are
typically composed of 65-95% of it (Eugene Hecht 2003). When water is examined at the atomic
level on up to the liquid, gas, and solid level, many fascinating emergent
properties are displayed.
In the natural world it is easy to observe some of the properties of water, such as an insect skating across a pond, or a glass filled with water above the brim. What are the dynamics of water that allow for such interesting behavior? To fully understand the physical properties of water and how it behaves, it is important to first look at its individual atoms and molecules.
Contents:
1. Atomic Structure of Water Molecules
2. Polarity of
Water Molecules
and Hydrogen Bonding
3. Adhesion, Cohesion
and Surface Tension