why is water wet?

Answer 1

It depends on the surface it is in contact with - it isn't wet to a duck's back!

Pure water isn't actually that good at wetting surfaces because it has a rather high surface tension (~72 N/m in air at 25degC) which is why pond skater's can walk on its surface film and you need to add surfactant (e.g. soap or detergent) to it to improve its wetting of some surfaces. It's surface tension is due to a number of intermolecular forces such as van der Waals and polar interactions.

The condition of maximum wetting occurs when the contact angle of the liquid to the surface being wetted approaches zero and this depends on the chmical compositions of the liquid and surface, the mechanical structure of the surface and the dynamics of the process - e.g. whether the liquid is advancing or receding.

If you watch rain water falling on a dirty window (e.g. while sat on a bus) you will notice that it tends to form ribbons of liquid that run down the glass with a high, bead-like contact angle at the head of the drops that takes an erratic route down the glass avoiding "dry" areas. The water is taking the easiest route down the glass avoiding the more hydrophobic areas having a thin (possibly one molecule thick - so invisible) layer of oil or similar contamination. Meanwhile the tails of the drops are stretched out to long more wetting tails that have lower contact angles. This is because, once the water has been in contact with the surface it wets the cleaner (hydrated silica) areas and causes the water to stick to the surface.

Wetting is a complex process which is very sensitive to the molecules at the surface.

Silicone oils have a low surface tension which is why they are good in products like WD-40 for wetting and penetrating into small gaps and basically getting everywhere!

Answer 2

In actual fact water isn't very wet. That's why we have to use soaps and detergents - which in chemistry are called 'wetting agents'. If you put water on a clean cloth that has never been washed it tends to run off or form droplets. This is because of surface tension which means that the water attracts to itself more than to the fabric. Add a drop of detergent and the surface tension is broken and the water 'wets' the cloth. If you have no residue of soap on your skin and pour water on it most runs off and there is little of the skin's surface fully coated with water. Do the same with methylated spirits or nail polish remover (acetone) and your skin will be thoroughly wet.

Answer 3

Usual collection of silly answers. Water is not always wet! Wetness is about spreading around another object. If you put water on a rubber surface it forms balls (not wet). Wetness depends on the liquid and the surface.

Answer 4

Which water? Not all water is wet.

Thought you'd get a hoot from these phrases:

By water: using a ship of boat for transportation.
Cast ones bread upon the water.
Like water: in great quantities; George was spending money like water.
Make water: 1. Urinate.
Water of life: whiskey
Water off a duck's back.
Water under the bridge.
Water over the dam.
Last but not least: Water on the BRAIN.

This took a while to do, but I had fun. Hope you laughed at some.

Technically: Water is a compound of oxygen and hydrogen (chemical form H2O) with highly distinctive physical and chemical properties.

Answer 5

The adhesive forces between say, a table, and the water, is greater than the cohesive forces between the water molecules. Hence water will spread out and if the material is absorbent, say it is a cloth, be absorbed by it.

Compare this with mercury where the cohesive forces is greater than the adhesive forces between the mercury and the material. It doesn't "wet" the table. It just forms a liquid "bubble" on the table.

Answer 6

The wetting capability of water is due to the polarity of the water molecule, and the hydrogen bond it easily establishes with objects, causing it to spread.

Answer 7

Its not objects get wet when you put water on them

Answer 8

because the definition of wet is covered, or soaked with water or some other liquid

Answer 9

Water is moist so as that the fish and different ocean, lake and river creatures can wade with the aid of it with fluent ease. Friction isn't your chum once you attempt to go. we could desire to have the skill to drink. we desire for boats to no longer sink. we desire for our plumbing to artwork. by using fact of this water is moist. yet, somewhat, why is water moist? Water is moist by using fact our sensations say it is so. We sense wetness. We get out of a pool and we are dripping, uh, you recognize. We take a bathtub and we are, um, you recognize lower back. the character of grass is to be green. the character of water is to be moist. to get rid of from its real nature is to wreck what's and for that reason water isn't water anymore. it may be ice, even with the undeniable fact that this isn't water. Water begets wetness. Wetness begets slipperiness. Slipperiness begets falling. Falling begets a protracted and painful wellbeing facility stay.

Answer 10

water is not wet enough, water-fire-extinguisher contain a special stuff to soak quicker inside materials