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There are interesting parts to the article, but the headline doesn't do it justice. > “Daddy? Why is water wet?” And the proper answer is: strong tetrahedral h
by dj-wonk 11y ago
There are interesting parts to the article, but the headline doesn't do it justice.
> “Daddy? Why is water wet?” And the proper answer is: strong tetrahedral hydrogen bonding, which they then related to their teachers for years afterward whenever the subject of water came, they’d say, “Strong tetrahedral hydrogen bonding!” But that’s the correct answer. That’s what makes water wet.
I've got a simpler answer. The Apple dictionary defines the word "wet" as "covered or saturated with water or another liquid". By that definition, if someone were to ask, "Why is water wet?" the response would simply be "because it is water".
Another way to ask the question is "What about water gives it interesting properties?"
By the title, I was hoping to see some interesting definition of "wet" in the article but did not. It might as well ask "Why is water water?"
I'd also be interested in a unpacking how "wetness" works in terms of lower principles, across different liquids. To what degree do all liquids behave like water? Why or why not?
- jcmoscon 11y ago> “Daddy? Why is water wet?” And the proper answer is: strong tetrahedral hydrogen bonding, which they then related to their teachers for years afterward whenever the subject of water came, they’d say, “Strong tetrahedral hydrogen bonding!” But that’s the correct answer. That’s what makes water wet. I think this answer the HOW water is wet question not the WHY water is water question.
- alejohausner 11y agoThe word "wet" is a technical term. If you spray a water repellent like Scotchgard on your clothes, they will become hydrophobic, and water won't cling to the cloth, nor penetrate its surface. In other words, hydrophobic materials are hard to wet. Waxy surfaces are also hard to wet. See "wetting" on wikipedia (not to be confused with nocturnal enuresis ;-). Wetting is a verb. Maybe the title should have read "Daddy? Why does water wet?" That might have resolved the confusion, at the risk of angering grammatical pedants.
- Retra 11y agoNothing is actually true by definition. That's a very sloppy cop-out.