Symphony in C Quotes

“molecules assume a little V shape. A central oxygen atom links to two hydrogen atoms arranged like Mickey Mouse’s ears. The hydrogen side of the molecule carries a positive electrical charge, while the oxygen side is negatively charged, yielding a “polar” molecule. Many of water’s most distinctive properties—its ability to dissolve table salt and numerous other chemicals, the ease of forming raindrops, the hardness of ice, capillary action in the stems of plants, and much more—arise from this polarity. The dielectric constant is a measure of the strength of that positive-negative charge separation, which dictates water’s behavior.”
― Robert M. Hazen, Symphony in C: Carbon and the Evolution of (Almost) Everything