Basic Lesson in the Chemistry of WATER 
 

Water is an atypical compound with strange physical properties. Thus, it is the secret behind life on earth. It is also the most abundantly available compound found on our planet. Most of its properties are related to structure, electronic bonding and chemistry.  

However, due to its empathy with several other substances, water contains a lot of material. Very few of us has used or even seen the pure water, formed on which we discuss the chemistry of water. 

It is not necessary to have a doctorate in science to understand the chemistry of water. All you need is the basic understanding of the hydrogen and oxygen molecules and their mutual relations. Studying the chemistry of water means dealing with the fundamental chemical properties and other such information about this miracle liquid.  

A general study of water chemistry includes its composition, structure and bonding, molecular vibration, Auto ionization, the study of the structure of ice and reactivity of water towards other compounds and elements. 

 
Water is made of only Oxygen and Hydrogen. But both of these elements have radioactive isotopes and are naturally stable. Due to these isotopes, the mass of one water molecule reaches roughly to the level of 18.011528 g per mol. 

As the isotope abundance does not always remain the same partly due to their outer space origin, the distribution of water molecules mostly depends on its age and source. Heavy water contains greater than normal amount of heavy Hydrogen and is produced by enriching simple water. It is mainly used in nuclear reactors.

Natural water has a strange molecular bonding and structure. The Oxygen-Hydrogen bond lengths are 0.097 manometers and Hydrogen Oxygen and Hydrogen angle is around 104 degrees.

Atoms in an element are always in motion and for different types of molecules, there are different vibration modes. In the case of water, the three modes are symmetric, asymmetric stretching and bending. The vibration of all these molecules are quantized, just like any other microscopic system and their q-numbers are designated as V1, V2 and so on.  

The molecules of water are symmetrical in the sense that there are multiple planes of symmetry. One carrying two atoms of Hydrogen and one atom of Oxygen and other perpendicular to the level moving through the bisector of Hydrogen-Oxygen-Hydrogen angle. Besides this, if the molecules are revolving 180 degrees, the shape becomes unruffled.

As far as the structure of ice is concerned, its density is far smaller than water because of the proper arrangement of molecules through Hydrogen bonding. In an idealized position, each atom of Hydrogen is involved in the same bond whereas each atom of Oxygen is encircled by four bonds of Hydrogen.  

The auto ionization of water is another an important part of the chemistry of water. It is an ionization reaction in the natural water in which two Hydrogen-one Oxygen molecule loses its one Hydrogen atom. And becomes a Hydroxide ion. I is the best example of auto photolysis and epitomize amphoteric and universal nature of water.