Is a molecule of water wet on its own or just makes it wet?

Is 1 H2O molecule wet or does it only have the property to make something wet? Do several molecules wet each other so that water is wet or is the molecule itself already wet?

Asker: Senne , 18 years

Answer

Dear Senne,

A molecule of water by itself is not “wet” or liquid.

“Wet” or liquid is an emergent property of water. This means that the system (a certain amount of water) does not have the same properties as its constituent parts (water molecules). If you want to know more about this, search for the term: emergence.

Kind regards,

Sander

Answered by

Prof. dr. dr. ir. Sander Deridder

Chromatography Heat and Mass Transfer Chemical Engineering

Is a molecule of water wet on its own or just makes it wet?

Catholic University of Leuven
Old Market 13 3000 Leuven
https://www.kuleuven.be/

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