Water

Definition

Water (H2O) is a clear, odorless, tasteless liquid that's essential for most animal and plant life. It also serves as an excellent solvent due to its polarity.

Related terms

Polarity:

The distribution of electrical charge over atoms joined by a bond. Water’s polarity allows it to dissolve other polar substances easily.

Solvent:

A substance capable of dissolving another substance (solute) to form a uniformly dispersed mixture at the molecular level known as solution. Water is often referred to as "universal solvent" due to its ability to dissolve many substances.

Hydrogen Bonding: The attractive force between the hydrogen attached to an electronegative atom of one molecule and an electronegative atom of a different molecule. Water molecules are capable of forming four hydrogen bonds with neighboring molecules, which gives water its unique properties.