Surface
Anomalies of surface properties -- from high surface tension to unusual solvent effects and viscosity.
The volume change from liquid to gas is very large
The volume increase upon vaporization of water is unusually large compared to similar substances.
No aqueous solution is ideal
Aqueous solutions always deviate from ideal behavior due to the unique properties of water.
Solutes have different effects on properties like density and viscosity
Different solutes affect the properties of water in surprisingly different ways.
The solubility of nonpolar gases decreases with temperature to a minimum
Gas solubility in water shows a minimum before increasing again at higher temperatures.
Water has an unusually high viscosity
The viscosity of water is higher than expected for such a small molecule.
Viscosity and Prandtl number increase strongly with decreasing temperature
Upon cooling, the viscosity and Prandtl number of water increase unusually strongly.
Strong decrease of diffusion with decreasing temperature
The self-diffusion of water slows down upon cooling more strongly than for other liquids.
Water has an unusually high surface tension
The surface tension of water is the highest of all non-metallic liquids.
For some salts there is a surface tension minimum -- the Jones-Ray effect
Certain salt solutions show a surface tension minimum at low concentrations.
Some salts prevent the coalescence of small bubbles
Certain salts prevent small gas bubbles in water from merging into larger ones.
The molar ionic volumes of salts show maxima as a function of temperature
The apparent molar volumes of ions in water show unusual temperature maxima.