Why is a compound as common as water considered a "weird" chemical substance?

Question

Peyton Adams · Accepted Answer

Hydrogen bonds

Water has surface tension due to the hydrogen bonds that hold its molecules together and allow it to stay a liquid at much higher temperatures than one would think. The way that water condenses into an ice crystal also makes the ice solid much less dense than the liquid, which allows it to float.

Jeremiah Adams · Answer

Consider its normal boiling point, which you know........

Compare the normal boiling point of water to that of #CH_4#, #SiH_4#, #HF#, #H_2S#, or #PH_3#. The boiling point of water is disproportionately high. This is also unusual in that water has a very small molecular mass (and thus little possibility of #"van der Waals interactions"#. And now compare the density of liquid water to the density of solid water. Icebergs float in the ocean! I grant that things are more buoyant in salty water, however, ice cubes also float in ice-water or in your gin and tonic. This is highly unusual, in that, save water, there are very few substances that as liquids are DENSER than their solid phases. I would consult a textbook on the unusual properties of water. These properties are largely the result of the propensity of the water to #"hydrogen-bond"# intermolecularly.

Jose Ayala · Answer

undefined Water is considered a "weird" chemical substance because it possesses several unique properties compared to other common compounds. These properties include its unusually high boiling and melting points for its molecular weight, its high surface tension, its ability to dissolve a wide range of substances, its anomalous expansion upon freezing, and its high specific heat capacity. These characteristics make water essential for life as we know it and contribute to its significance in various natural processes.