Themes > Science > Earth Sciences > Hydrology, Meteorology, Climatology > Hydrology > Generalities > The Unique Properties of Water

..Three times more abundant than all other substances
..One of few inorganic liquids
..Only substance that occurs naturally as a solid, liquid and gas
..The most universal solvent
..Highest surface tension of all liquids except mercury
..Expands upon freezing (by 9%), a property shared with few other substances
..Expands with increasing temperature above 4 deg C
..Greatest heat capacity of all liquids (1 cal/g/deg C)
..Greatest latent heat of fusion and vaporization
..Greatest thermal conductivity except for mercury
..High transparency
..Like air, a highly mobile substance
..A dense liquid and therefore only slightly compressible


Information provided by: http://uregina.ca