The amazing properties of water courtesy of The Designer (last updated: 23rd July 2025)
The limitless uses of water
Much of what is stated below concerning water is common knowledge, however we are focussing on it because its very existence
provides one of the most perfect pieces of evidence that we live in a Created World.
We also need to acknowledge that little
thought is given in countries where there is a copious supply to how important it is for our survival.
Water is in fact the most vitally important substance on our planet. Without it we would not exist, neither would any other living organism
including plant life. Without water there would be no clouds, therefore no rain to water plants, consequentially
no food for us to eat.
Thunderstorms that form in our clouds are also a vital part of our ecosystem as the lightning fuses nitrogen and oxygen at high temperatures in the atmosphere to produce
nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). These chemicals are involved in the production of nitrates in the soil that feed
plants alongside water.
Ozone which protects us from harmful UV-B radiation from the sun is also a product of lightning strikes.
It is too easy to take the amazing provision of life support systems on Earth, such as water, for granted as if they were
bound to exist being a part of nature itself. The purpose of this section is to focus
on the role of water without which there could be no life on our planet.
It may be argued that there is nothing unusual about water because most chemical elements and compounds exist in one or more
of the forms listed below depending on the prevailing physical conditions they are exposed to. Let us consider what is so unique about water.
Our bodies are of the order of 60% water. Clearly therefore we consist of water more than any other chemical compound.
Our brains are 80 - 85% water, and approximately 90% of human blood is water, hence the need to keep hydrated otherwise we might end up with birdbrains.
Regarding plant life, on average, most plants lose about 95% of the water absorbed through their roots to evaporation.
A fully grown tree may lose several hundred gallons of water through its leaves on a hot, dry day.
Plants absorb water through their leaves as well as through their roots.
Water can make up to 95% of the weight of a plant, suggesting plants are even more dependent on water than are animals.
States of water
Water vapour
Liquid water
Ice
Snow
Considering each state in turn:
The role of water vapour:
The boiling point, 100 degrees centigrade, enables us to easily and cheaply produce steam where it is needed
e.g. for steam traction, electrical power generation. and to sterilize contaminated materials easily without damage to them.
We do not need to boil water in order to release water vapour into the atmosphere. Water at normal temperatures is sufficiently
volatile to release sufficient amounts into the atmosphere from its surface to produce cloud cover. We need to be able to reduce
our body temperature by sweating from pores which requires increased water consumption in hot weather.
The greatest influencer of Earth's temperature is atmospheric water vapour. It is the major greenhouse gas, accounting for 95% of global warming.
It is believed that we would be 60 degrees colder without greenhouse gases. Carbon dioxide by contrast is a minor greehouse gas.
Rain produced by water vapour also removes pollutant carbon dioxide and other noxious gases from the atmosphere.
The role of liquid water:
1) Most importantly enabling us to stay hydrated maintaining the high levels of water content in our bodies.
2) Travel across oceans and rivers bordering countries for diplomacy, trade, tourism, sport e.g. swimming, etc.
3) Home for aquatic life providing food for us and marine creatures.
4) Powering hydroelectric dams.
5) Acts as an excellent solvent. Virtually every liquid product has water as the solvent e.g. alcoholic beverages and other drinks,
perfumes, manufacture of food products, the chemicals industry is reliant on water as a solvent, etc., etc.
6) Ocean tides, courtesy of the Moon's gravitational pull, play a crucial role in the health, behavior, and survival of countless marine species.
7) Keeping our bodies clean, provides a medium for swimming.
8) Watering farm lands especially in arid regions.
9) Extinguishing out of control fires in houses and on open land.
10) Providing a measure of security on the borders and coastlines of many countries.
11) Our oceans and rivers contain vast amounts of water totalling 0.023% of the Earth's mass and 71% of the Earth's surface coverage.
12) To provide sufficient oxygen levels for life forms that inhabit water such as varieties of fish.
The dissolved oxygen content of warm water is of the order of 5 mg/L. This amounts to about ten molecules of oxygen per million of water:
Of all the chemical substances in natural waters oxygen is one of the most significant.
,there are an endless number of widely varying roles. There is simply no substitute for liquid water.
The role of ice:
The fact that the density of ice is less than the surrounding unfrozen water means it floats. This is a unique property of water.
This unusual property is vital to acquatic life and causes circulation of water under the ice essential for marine life.
1) Enables travel by foot across Arctic and Antarctic regions.
2) Enables refrigeration to keep food free of bacterial infection over long periods.
3) Ice aids in injury recovery and pain management.
4) Creates beautiful landscapes.
5) Provides ice skating sport.
6) Used in manufacturing, construction, and transportation.
The role of snow:
1) The uniqueness of snow crystals is a wonder and a mystery.
2) Covers mountain tops adding to natural beauty.
3) Provides skiing and other sports.
4) Falling snow is a beauty to behold.
In conclusion where would we be without water?
Answer: We would not exist!
The unique chemistry of water in brief
Known by its chemical symbol, H2O, water is the only known substance on Earth that naturally exists as a gas, liquid, and solid.
In a water molecule more of the shared electrons collect around the oxygen atom than around the hydrogen atoms.
This gives the oxygen end of the molecule a negative electrical charge and the hydrogen ends a positive electrical charge.
This property of the water molecule, called dipolarity, gives water many of its chemical and physical characteristics.
The electrostatic attraction between water molecules and different types of molecules on a surface is the mechanism of adhesion,
allowing water to cling to our bodies when washing and to most other materials, glass for example.
The number of water molecules in 1 cubic centimeter (cc) of water is: 1/3 X 10 to the power 23.
The average distance between water molecules in centimeters is 3.1 X 10 to the power -8
At average atmospheric pressure, the expansion ratio between water in its liquid form and steam is 1:1700.
This means that under ideal conditions, 1 part of liquid water expands to 1700 times the volume as steam when boiled.
It follows that there are approximately 2 X 10 to the power 19 water molecules in 1 cc of pure steam.
We will leave it to the reader to estimate the total number of water molecules on planet Earth.
It cannot be denied that the Earth is unique in supporting life in great abundance and this is largely attributable
to the existence of copious supplies of water across the globe. Everything about our Earth speaks of design. Rather than trying to deny
the obvious and look for obscure alternative explanations for life that lead nowhere we should thank God for His goodness, and marvel at His
inestimable ingenuity and power. It is interesting to note that water was established on Earth from the very beginning, and
there was plenty of it around (Genesis 1:1). Water featured heavily throughout Genesis 1.
Study the arrangement of water molecules in liquid water in the following websites:
Water is the most common substance on Earth, covering almost three quarters of the planet's surface.
Water (and by implication, life itself) should not even exist on our planet! But we soon learn that this tiny combination of three nuclei and
eight electrons possesses special properties that make it unique among the more than 15 million chemical species we presently know.
1. Creation sings the Father's song.
He calls the sun to wake the dawn
And run the course of day
'Til evening falls in crimson rays.
His fingerprints in flakes of snow,
His breath upon this spinning globe;
He charts the eagle's flight;
Commands the newborn baby's cry.
Refrain:
Hallelujah!
Let all creation stand and sing, "Hallelujah!"
Fill the earth with songs of worship, tell the wonders of creation's King.
2. Creation gazed upon His face;
The ageless One in time's embrace
Unveiled the Father's plan
Of reconciling God to man.
A second Adam walked the earth,
Whose blameless life would break the curse,
Whose death would set us free
To live with Him eternally.
3. Creation longs for His return,
When Christ shall reign upon the earth;
The bitter wars that rage
Are birth pains of a coming age.
When He renews the land and sky,
All heav'n will sing and earth reply
With one resplendent theme:
The glory of our God and King!
Of all the chemical substances in natural waters oxygen is one of the most significant.