The diverse properties and functionality of water have a lot to do with its molecular structure, the atoms that comprise it and the way it is shaped. Water has a "bent" shape that is the result of the arrangement of bonded and non-bonded shared electrons.This bent shape gives water molecules both a negatively and positively charged side making them extremely versatile in their ability to interact with one another and with other molecules.
Water is often described as the “universal solvent” because of its ability to dissolve so many different types of substances and/or molecules. In biological systems like our human body, this ability of water allows it to transport important nutrients and electrolytes to cells so that we can function properly. Water is also a key player in maintaining a cell’s overall structure and shape. Without the proper amount of water inside the cells, dehydration will occur and may ultimately lead to cell death.
So, it is quite clear that water is an important part of who we are, and it turns out its molecular structure, the atoms it is made up of, and the way it is shaped in 3-dimensional space, has a lot to do with its properties and functionality.
I’m sure you have heard somewhere that water, H2O is a result of two hydrogens atoms ‘H’ bonded one center oxygen atom ‘O’. You may think these atoms are arranged in a linear fashion, but it turns out that water has an overall “bent” shape in terms of its molecular geometry.
This “bent” shape is primarily due to how the shared electrons that are in bonds AND those that are NOT in bonds of the central oxygen atom are arranged in space to minimize electron repulsion. When electrons that are negatively charged get too close to each other, they will repel. So, to minimize this occurrence, the bonded and the unbonded electrons will spread out as much as possible which creates a molecular shape that is the most stable and lowest in energy, which is the “bent” shape for the water molecule.
At this point you may be wondering, “Okay, water has a bent shape. So, what?”
Well, the bent shape contributes to the overall polarity of a water molecule. The term polarity means that there is a slight charge difference in the atoms that are in a bond OR this slight charge difference is found in the overall molecule. The water molecule displays both bond and molecular polarities, and its bent shape makes it so that towards the oxygen, it has a partial negative charge, and towards the two hydrogen atoms, it has a partial positive charge. If water was linear in shape, the two polar bonds of the water molecule will cancel each other out, and that means that there wouldn’t be these distinctively charged areas that give water its super solvent powers.
The fact that a water molecule has both a negatively charged side and a positively charged side makes it extremely versatile. It has the ability to attract not only other water molecules to itself but also other ions and molecules with opposite charges to one of its “sides”.
As a simple example, table salt which has a chemical name of sodium chloride is made up of sodium and chloride ions. Salt dissolves in water because the sodium ions that are positively charged will be attracted to the negatively charged area of the water molecule, and the chloride ions that are negatively charged will be attracted to the positively charged areas of the water molecule.
This ability of water to interact with each other and also with other molecules allows it to serve as a vehicle to transport molecules like oxygen so that we can breathe, and it also helps us to remove waste from our bodies by carrying the toxins out. Without water, our bodies would not be able to function, and we have water’s polarity to be thankful for - a characteristic that ultimately stems from its bent shape.
