Learn about water in chemistry—structure, unique properties, sources, uses, and why H₂O is vital for life and science. Learn about the covalent compound water, its properties, forms, and functions. Find out how to synthesize water from hydrogen and oxygen gas and explore its applications in chemistry and biology. Water is made up of hydrogen and oxygen, and it exists in gaseous, liquid, and solid states. Water is one of the most plentiful and essential compounds, occurring as a liquid on Earth ’s surface under normal conditions, which makes it invaluable for human uses and as plant and animal habitat. The chemical formula for water is H₂O, a molecular compound consisting of one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms covalently bonded and asymmetrically. The polarity and the bent shape of the water molecule is conceptually significant. Water can be derived from water resources like surface water like rivers, lakes, and seas; groundwater like aquifers; and atmospheric water like raindrops, sleet, snow, and mist. Another is through desalinated seawater and reclaimed wastewater especially in the ...
