The four amazing properties of water
without these properties, life could not exist


The chemical structure of water is truly amazing. Simple, yet brilliant. The oxygen moleule has extra negatively charged electrons. These electrons oppose the single electron in each hydrogen atom. The resulting structure gives a 104.5 degree angle between the two hydrogens and the one oxygen. This 104.5 degree angle is essential to all of water's unique properties. Were it not for this angle, you would not be alive!! This angle gives water its four very unique properties that sustain all life. Water also forms "hydrogen bonds", a type of VanderWaals force that is not an actual chemical bond. The positively charged hydrogen attracts the negatively charged oxygen on another water molecule creating the ability of water to provide surface tension, to dissolve many ions, to expand when frozen, and to partially evaporate at low temperatures.

1) Water is the Universal Solvent

Since water is able to dissolve nearly any substance, given enough time, even metals and minerals can be dissolved and carried to living organisms such as plants, trees, and animals. Without these necessary elements, life could not thrive on earth, as these metals would not be found in a consumable state.

2) Water has high surface tension---capillary action

Water's high surface tension not only allows ships to float, but it also is responsible for "capillary action". Think of what water does when you place a paper towel in it. It "climbs" up the paper towel. Trees use narrow channels to take advantage of capillary action. Large trees are able to carry several tons of water per day as high as 100 meters to the very top of the tree. Human-made suction pumps are currently unable to do this!!! Were it not for water's capillary action, plants and trees could not exist...and neither would we!

3) Water expands when it freezes, causing ice to float

This is a most unique and powerful property of water. Instead of getting more dense when it freezes, water actually expands when it freezes into ice. This causes ice to float. If ice sunk, then during winter, a lake or even ocean would progressively freeze over as water froze on the surface, then sank to the bottom, and so on. Instead of fish and plants surviving under the blanket of protection of a surface layer of ice, they would be frozen along with the rest of the water, and ocean life would cease to exist. This would also affect land life, since a proportionately small amount of the oceans and lakes would be expected to melt during summer causing draught on the land.

4) Water partially vaporizes at low temperatures--evaporation

Water comes to land through the hydrologic cycle. Evaporation from the oceans delivers water to land. The land water then erodes into the oceans and the cycle is repeated. Without evaporation, this cycle would cease to exist and the land would become dry as a desert, and little life could survive or thrive.
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Water is God's miracle and is the source of physical life and vitality on the earth. Jesus said that He is "living water". Everyone who drinks physical water will thirst again, but the one who believes in Jesus will never thirst spiritually. He is the water from heaven to quench the thirsty soul. [see John 4:10-14]

Without PHYSICAL water, we will die physically
Without JESUS--the "Living Water", we will also die spiritually--and never see heaven