Water Chemistry Essentials

Water's unique properties shape biology, geology, and climate:

• Hydrogen bonding gives water a high boiling point, high surface tension, and high heat capacity
• Ice floating prevents lakes and oceans from freezing solid, preserving aquatic life in winter
• Universal solvent properties allow water to carry nutrients, waste, and chemical signals throughout living organisms
• pH 7 is neutral; your blood stays at 7.4, ocean water at 8.1, and stomach acid at 1.5
• Ocean acidification from rising CO2 threatens marine ecosystems by reducing pH and dissolving calcium carbonate shells.