Question

Explain how water's cohesive and adhesive properties are a result of its bonding among the atoms

Answer 1

Water is a unique molecule which contains inter-molecular forces like vandar wall's forces and hydrogen bonding that results in extremely strong bonding forces among water molecules.

Cohesion and adhesion are the properties of water which refer to the fact that water molecules are not only very strongly attracted to water molecules but also to other polar molecules of any type.

This is the cohesive nature of the water which makes water a water drop and it is the adhesive nature of water due to which water takes the shape and available space in a glass or jar of water .

How these properties are a result of bonding between atoms?

Cohesive properties:

• We are well aware of the fact that water is composed of one atom of oxygen and two atoms of Hydrogen.
• The two hydrogen atoms align themselves in such a way that oxygen is in middle of them. Due to great electronegativity difference Oxygen gets a partial negative charge while Hydrogen atoms get partial positive charges.
• Now one oxygen atom of one one water molecule attracts the partial positive charged hydrogen atom of another water molecule, and this attraction causes the bonding. This type of inter-molecular forces of atom gives water cohesive properties.

Adhesive properties:

• If we talk about adhesive properties through which water is attracted to other materials of polar nature, these adhesive properties are also due to same nature of bonding.
• Any polar compounds can easily get bonded with water due to polar nature of water molecules. You can see the attached figure for better understanding of bonding properties of water.

Hope it help!