Water is called the "universal solvent", because of its ability to dissolve many different compounds from sugars to DNA. This ability makes it ideal medium for living organisms.
Why is water so optimal solvent?
Water has ability to act as dipole. Oxygen is negatively charged while hydrogen positively. These in interaction, for example with salt (oxygen with sodium ions and hydrogen with chlorine ions), result in a situation that sodium chlorine (salt) dissolve into ions that are more stable while surrounded by water.
Consistence of water
Consistence of water, two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom, can be demonstrated by electrolysis (the decomposition of water molecules with electricity). This releases bubbles of pure oxygen and the pure hydrogen. By measuring the amount of gases, twice as much oxygen is released as hydrogen. The interaction of hydrogen and oxygen is called a polar covalent bond. This means that 2 elements share a pair of electrons and that each atom contributes one of the electrons in the pair. Hydrogen, the 1. element in the Periodic Table, has one electron and can form one covalent bond interaction. In case of water, hydrogens are sharing electrons with oxygen. If hydrogen would share its electron with another hydrogen, there would not be any electron available to interact with oxygen. A polar covalent bond represents a dipole where the hydrogens have a slight positive charge and the oxygen has a slight negative charge.
Ecological perspective
The ability to dissolve in many substances is also the reason why water pollution is pervasive. In water, it is possible to dissolve almost every substance from pesticides, industrial waster, to household byproducts, as soup in water for washing our clothes. There are many technics water purifying, but there require a lot of energy and its difficult to overcome the hydrogen bonds between water molecules. Another technic is distillation, but it leaves the polluting material behind. Without water there is no life on the Earth. Even though water is a simple molecule, it is the most essential chemical component.
Soure: http://www.chemistryexplained.com/Va-Z/Water.html
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