The behavior of water depends on physical and chemical characteristics that vary across environments. Investigate density, salinity, acidity, heat capacity, surface tension, molecular behavior, and phase transitions between liquid, solid, and vapor.
A water strider does not stand on a rigid sheet. Beneath each leg, the water surface bends into a visible depression, sometimes called a dimple. The insect remains above the water because the curved interface pushes upward strongly enough to balance its weight. This performance depends on more than...
Water’s formula is simple, but its behavior is not. Substances made of similarly small molecules are often gases at ordinary temperatures, yet water remains liquid across much of Earth’s surface. It absorbs substantial heat, forms rounded droplets, dissolves many compounds, and expands when it...
Drop an ice cube into a glass of water, and part of it remains above the surface. This familiar behavior is unusual. In most substances, atoms or molecules pack more tightly when the material freezes, making the solid denser than the liquid. Solid pieces therefore tend to sink in their own melts....