Water has many exceptional and useful properties. Which is the rarest property among compounds?
A) Water is a solvent.
B) Solid water is less dense than liquid water.
C) Water has a high heat capacity.
D) Water has surface tension.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Solid water (ice) being less dense than liquid water is a rare property among compounds. Most compounds become more dense as they solidify, but water's hydrogen bonding causes the molecules to form an open crystal lattice structure, resulting in ice being less dense than liquid water. The other properties listed (solvent ability, high heat capacity, surface tension) are also important and useful properties of water, but they are not as rare or exceptional as the lower density of ice.

Water Has Many Exceptional and Useful Properties