It’s practically used for everything; drinking, cooking, cleaning, chemical reactions, generating electricity and the list goes on…but what makes it so suitable for basically everything?
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I’m no scientist, but I think it is because it is very unique. It changes phase (to solid, liquid and gas) at temperatures found on earth. It (like most things) gets more dense as it gets colder, but (unlike most everything) expands as it reaches its freezing point. That is why the bottom of a lake/pond/river doesn’t freeze solid allowing aquatic life to continue through the colder months.
It is pH neutral unless contaminated. It is colorless, odorless and nonflammable.
It is reactive (with say iron, among other things) but mildly so compared with many substances.
IDK if there is something better for the generation of electricity, but it expands 1500 times when it changes phase from liquid to gas allowing you to create the pressures needed to spin a turbine and only needing to get the temp up to 212F.
Perhaps someone would know if there is another liquid that is nonflammable with a lower temp required to shift to gas. I can’t think of one.
Other than that, life on earth has evolved to make use of it because of these reasons.
The reason it is so useful to us for say, cleaning, is that we have made products that work well with it.
Love the question, didn’t realized I was such a water booster.
Full disclosure: I am a plumber, so in addition to doing the many other things to help make life more comfortable, we help deliver potable water to millions of people around the world. I guess I got a bit of my appreciation on the job.
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