At room temperature, water is a familiar liquid. But this is most interesting, because under normal conditions, we would expect water to be in a gaseous state, like other small molecules such as ammonia and methane. Water's liquid nature stems from the small hydrogen atoms, and the hydrogen bonds between water molecules. As you know, covalent bonds hold a water molecule together, but one water molecule attaches to another via a hydrogen bond. As already stated, hydrogen bonds are exceedingly weak, and the duration of a hydrogen bond is approximately one hundred billionth of a second. However, the breaking of the bond does not destroy the assembly of water molecules, because when one bond is broken, another new one immediately forms. As a result of this constant renewal, water molecules cannot adhere to one another, but are viscous. As a final result, instead of forming a gas in which molecules move independently, water molecules group together as a moving liquid. This property of water, so different from that of similar molecules, is one of the basic necessities of life.
The weak hydrogen bonds between water molecules also results in the different densities of liquid water and ice. Almost all known substances are denser as a solid than in their liquid form in. For example, under normal conditions when you drop lumps of iron into molten iron, the solid lumps will sink to the bottom. Yet with water, this does not happen because ice, water's solid state, is less dense than liquid water. When water freezes, every molecule grips tightly onto its neighbor because of the hydrogen bonds, but the distance between these molecules remains quite large. Therefore, gaps remain between the bonds, and the structure of water in its solid form contains more empty space than its liquid counterpart, making it less dense.15 As a result, when you drop ice cubes into a glass of water, the ice inevitably rises to the surface—as do icebergs in the ocean.
Under the effect of hydro gen bonds, bod ies of water always begin to freeze from the sur face. This means that all liv ing things under the ice have a shel ter in the win ter. Water in the lower lev els chills to no less than 4 degrees Celsius (39.2 degrees Fahrenheit). By means of this spe cial bal ance cre at ed by Allah, liv ing things in the water under neath can sur vive the win ter.
This characteristic of water is of the greatest importance for life. Due to this effect of the hydrogen bonds, bodies of water always start to freeze from their surface down. In winter, ice forms on the upper layers of lakes and seas, and the mass of water beneath the ice remains in a liquid state. As a result of this, thousands of water-dwelling organisms are able to survive. At the same time, the ice at the surface also acts as a protective layer that insulates the underlying water and keeps it from growing too cold. The mass of water below chills to no colder than 4oC (39oF), which temperature lets marine organisms survive. This is another special creation brought into being for living things. If ice were denser than water, lakes and oceans would begin to freeze from the bottom, and with no insulation, would freeze right up to the surface. A large part of Earth's northern seas would consist entirely of ice, and aquatic life would come to an end.
Water has other important properties. For example, when you gently place a very light shaving of metal on still water, you'll see that it remains on the surface, rather than sinking to the bottom. Also, certain insects are also able to walk across water without difficulty. Metal is heavier than water, as are many insects,16 so how can they remain on the surface in this way? The reason, once again, points to water's being deliberately created. The hydrogen bonds that hold water molecules together give rise to surface tension, which arises when molecules on the water's surface establish bonds amongst themselves and also with molecules beneath.17 For an insect's legs to sink down into the water, some of these hydrogen bonds must be broken. If water lacked these properties, then fish would require a large amount of energy in order to be able to swim, and there might not be the same variety of species living in water than there is now.
These properties of water, which are so familiar but seldom reflected on, are a great blessing from Allah. Water acquires such characteristics, and living things are able to survive on it and in it because Allah so wishes. Allah has set out this fact in a verse:
Allah is He, Who created the heavens and the Earth and sends down water from the sky and by it brings forth fruits as provision for you. He has made the ships subservient to you to run upon the sea by His command, and He has made the rivers subservient to you. (Surah Ibrahim: 32)
The molecules on the water surface establish hydro gen bonds with one another and also with those beneath, giving rise tosurface tension. Some of these hydrogen bonds need to break in order for a light insect to sink beneath the water's surface.
The force that helps a tiny green grass seed emerge from the soil, and lets giant trees grow several hundred meters (or several hundred feet) tall, is again closely related to the miraculous properties of water. Due to its molecular property and method of bonding, water enters a plant's roots and extends upward along very narrow tubes inside. The water's ascent may sometimes be tens of meters (hundreds of feet), may divide into dozens of branches and twigs. This property of water, which other liquids could not accomplish so easily, is known as capillary movement. At the same time, water is capable of being absorbed. As soon as it comes into contact with substances like wood or gelatin, it is able to penetrate them.18 The way that seeds begin sprouting swell up by absorbing water also stems from this property of water's being absorbable. If not, even though there were water and seeds under the ground, then there would be no trace of the plant kingdom and all life on Earth would disappear.
I. Water is a special liquidin which molecules are ableto move with ease. Despite being a solvent, water does not dis solve the skeleton. Allah has com bined the calcium and phosphate molecules that comprise our bones in a special way so as to protect them against the dissolving properties of water. As a result of this perfect creation, the moisture in your body does your bones no harm.
II. The hydration layer that forms with hydrogen bonds prevents sodium and chloride ions combining together, so that these two molecules are unable to form salt.
III. Bone tis sue
Because of the weak hydrogen bonds that bring water into existence, this miraculous molecule is able to exhibit heat resistance. If the air temperature suddenly rises, water's temperature increases more slowly. In the event of any sudden drop in air temperature, water temperature falls slowly, and does not cool down as much as the air does.19 This physical behavior is actually a marvel of creation. If water did not possess such an "insulating" property, then water-dwelling organisms could not withstand sudden violent temperature changes, and would soon die off. Moreover, we would also be affected. Since water constitutes around 70% of our bodies, we would be immediately affected by the temperature, and become swiftly chilled or overheated.
Water is also an ideal perfect solvent. A great many substances (sugar in particular) dissolve easily in water because they can build hydrogen bonds with it. Molecules such as salt or minerals, joined with ionic bonds, can also dissolve easily in water. Its solvent property is also very important to our own bodies; it creates a perfect vehicle to transport nutrients to our cells. At the same time, water at body temperature is an ideal liquid for the movement of molecules inside the cell. Despite its solvent properties, however, water cannot dissolve calcium phosphate, so that your own body fluids do not dissolve the bones of your skeletons.20 This special molecular structure that constitutes your bones is made up in a particular way to withstand the solvent property of water.
Different molecules assume different forms inside your body, itself the result of the multiplication of a single cell, to bestow different features on you. While all these anatomical changes were taking place, how could molecules themselves have decided that those to be transported inside the cell should be soluble in water but that your bones should be resistant? How can cells know that nutrients need to dissolve in water? It is of course illogical to expect any cells to be familiar with molecules, know their appropriate levels of solvency, and take precautions beforehand to ensure the ideal metabolism.
These are Allah's sublime creation. Allah has created all these properties possessed by a human fetus, who begins to grow inside his mother's womb, and all the molecules in that body. This is revealed in another verse:
Allah – Him from Whom nothing is hidden, either on Earth or in heaven. It is He Who forms you in the womb however He wills. There is no god but Him, the Almighty, the All-Wise. (Surah Al ‘Imran: 5-6)
Only since the 20th century we humans have been able to investigate the substances that comprise the universe at the molecular level. Water, however, was set out in perfect quantities when this Earth was coming into being and intelligently created with all the ideal attributes for the formation of life. It's a miracle whose detailed properties scientists have only recently discovered. However, Allah created water and equipped it with the ideal properties for living things long before the first living organism came into existence. The fact that all of water's properties arise from what is inherent in two atoms of hydrogen and one of oxygen shows the flawless depth of detail in His sublime creation. Allah reveals in one verse:
In the creation of the heavens and Earth, and the alternation of the night and day, and the ships which sail the seas to people's benefit, and the water which Allah sends down from the sky—by which He brings the Earth to life when it was dead and scatters about in it creatures of every kind—and the varying direction of the winds, and the clouds subservient between heaven and Earth, there are Signs for people who use their intellect. (Surat al-Baqara: 164)
Hiç yorum yok:
Yorum Gönder