Hydrosphere Contents

2. Properties Of Water

Solvent properties

Water is an excellent solvent for many chemical species, particularly ionic species such as sodium chloride, which dissociates into an ion of sodium and an ion of chloride. Because of the polar nature of the water molecule these ionic species dissolve in water and become surrounded by a cloud of water molecules. These water molecules separate the charged ions and prevent them from being attracted together and hence form a solid again. Water is also a good solvent for organic molecules which are polar, i.e. molecules which have a different charge at one end compared to the other. These solvent properties of water allow it to act as a medium in which many of the main chemical reactions in the biosphere, lithosphere and atmosphere take place. Furthermore, it facilitates the transfer of chemical species from one place to another in most parts of the global chemical cycles.

What is significant about the solvent properties of water?