This is very new. Surface tension might be caused by an ice-like water structure. This makes sense to me.

This also implies that much of our humidity could be in a warm ice state. And that state isn't as dependent on temp as thought.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/05/170524084349.htm

Edit: added the word might.

 

Let's go all the way down this rabbit hole. What if it turns out that all evaporation........is actually a form of sublimation from the surface.

 

We might even have a new state of matter here. Even if it only applies to a water molecule. It may help explain the magic property of water.

The latent State. This state allows the transfer/absorption of energy(a bandpass), without a change in temp. Water can wet almost everything.

If this latent structure is on the surface.......then that means.....that there has to be a minimum number of water molecules.....for it to be in a truly liquid state. For if you decrease the droplet size.....eventually surface is all that is left.

Other liquids express surface tension. Perhaps latent states are very common.

It's a most interesting finding........compared to what has been taught.

And of course that water surface was against oil......not air........not against a gaseous state. The structure could be different against air.

 

Most of what's in that science paper was already well known but not at that level of detail.

I found this site some time ago. http://www1.lsbu.ac.uk/water/water_structure_science.html

Some of the links are crap like homeopathy but it's an interesting view.

 

This is not surprising. Gas bubbles require infinite energy to nucleate. Why should the surface energy of infinitesimally small spheres not be exceptionally high?

 

This is not surprising. Gas bubbles require infinite energy to nucleate. Why should the surface energy of infinitesimally small spheres not be exceptionally high?

True but everything has "corners" or impurities and nothing is perfectly smooth. The Mentos provides nucleation sites.

 

I've actually had a Pyrex measuring cup in the microwave to boil water in and had the water explode.

It had nuked it for almost four minutes and then "ding". I couldn't see any bubbling through the glass but when I popped the door all the water shot out of the cup. It superheated and I got lucky it didn't get me. The vibration of the door opening set it off like some nitro glycerin

 

This is very new. Surface tension might be caused by an ice-like water structure. This makes sense to me.

This also implies that much of our humidity could be in a warm ice state. And that state isn't as dependent on temp as thought.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/05/170524084349.htm

Edit: added the word might.

It is interesting that everyone finds this interesting but it has been obvious to everyone all the way back to those guys trying to assemble the periodic table (likely before) and realizing that water has a molecular mass of 18 yet it is a liquid at room temperature. Heavier analogous molecules, H2S, PH3 are gases. Most molecules are not liquids unless the molecular weight is 70 to 85 (non polar molecules), slightly more polar like acetone is still way heavier than water with a low boiling point, molecular mass 58.

Oh, hydrogen bonding, hydrogen atoms connected to high electronegative atoms like oxygen and nitrogen allow surprisingly strong intermolecular bonds to form. Sheets of water can form that are surprisingly large and estimates permeate the literature to compare the molecular weight of water clusters to the vapor pressure of other heavy non-polar molecules with similar vapor pressures. (Read about Hansen solubility parameters and Hildibrandt solubility parameters to get the science and interplay of many physical properties of fluids and solvents - even swelling of polymers).

Anyhow, hydrogen bonds stabilize H2o as a fairly high-boiling liquid but H-bonds are also the magic of water that allows so much life to survive feezing temps. That little density inversion at 4C and ice to float. Also the huge heat capacity of water vs other liquids.

Then, to emphesize the structures possible with hydrogen bonding, the base pairs of DNA align the way they do, lock and key, all because of hydrogen bonding. Similarly, enzyme substrate pairs and just about anything else that makes us "alive" relies on reversible structures assembled and disassembled by making/breaking hydrogen bonds.

On a less biological note, even the strength of wood relies on chained of cellulose (a poly glucose) to achieve amazing strength and durability.


Cheers to the .H-bond. Nothing new other than the way the authors presented it.

 

@GopherT, you must be one of those dreaded PHD's, hope your ashamed of yourself.

 

In the article the size of droplets is said to be in the attoliters range!

 

In the article the size of droplets is said to be in the attoliters range!

yes, a few dozen molecules.