🌊 Water’s Unique Properties – Hydrogen Bonds, Cohesion & DAT Relevance

Water is simple in formula but profound in function—its unique properties power life and DAT questions alike.
Expect to see topics like hydrogen bonding, high specific heat, and cohesion/adhesion on test day.
This blog breaks down the molecular magic of water and how it ties into key DAT concepts.

💧 The Polarity of Water

• Water is polar because oxygen is more electronegative than hydrogen.

• This causes a partial negative charge on the O and partial positives on the Hs.

• Polarity allows water to form hydrogen bonds with itself and other polar molecules.

📌 DAT Tip: The polarity of water is why it’s a universal solvent.

🔗 Hydrogen Bonding and Its Impact

• Water molecules form hydrogen bonds with each other.

• These are weaker than covalent bonds, but strong enough to affect water’s behavior.

Consequences of Hydrogen Bonding:

• High boiling point for a small molecule

• Ice floats: solid water is less dense due to open hexagonal lattice

• Cohesion and adhesion properties in plants

🌱 Cohesion, Adhesion & Surface Tension

Property	Description	DAT Example
Cohesion	Water molecules stick to each other via hydrogen bonding.	Transpiration pull in xylem vessels of plants.
Adhesion	Water molecules stick to other surfaces due to polarity.	Capillary action in root hairs and glass tubes.
Surface Tension	Water’s surface resists external force due to strong intermolecular cohesion.	Water striders walking on the surface of water.

🌡️ High Specific Heat and Evaporative Cooling

• Specific heat: water resists temperature change (1 cal/g°C)

• Keeps body temperature stable

• Evaporative cooling: as water evaporates, it carries heat with it
  → Helps humans sweat and plants regulate heat

📌 DAT Tip: This is a major concept in both general chemistry and biology.

🧠 DAT-Style Questions You’ll See

• “Which of the following explains why ice floats on water?”

• “Why does water have a high boiling point?”

• “What allows water to travel up a plant stem?”

• “What is responsible for water’s high specific heat?”

🎯 Call to Action

Want to see these concepts in action?

Join King of the Curve and:

• Practice DAT bio & chem problems on water

• Visualize hydrogen bonding through custom graphics

• Test your retention with daily quizzes and adaptive learning

👉 Try the Free App

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