For a science fair project about food and chemistry, Bill looks around his kitchen for examples of covalent compounds. What evidence can Bill use in his project to show that water (H2O) acts like other covalent compounds?

Question

He can demonstrate that water is a liquid with a definite volume.
He can demonstrate that water can be boiled on a simple kitchen stove.
He can demonstrate that water can sometimes be used to conduct electricity.
He can demonstrate that water can change shape and either be sprayed or poured.

Answer 1

For Bill's science fair project about food and chemistry, to show that water (H2O) acts like other covalent compounds, the best evidence he can provide is:

He can demonstrate that water can change shape and either be sprayed or poured.

This demonstration emphasizes the characteristic of covalent compounds having variable shapes due to their molecular structure. Covalent compounds typically have weaker intermolecular forces compared to ionic compounds, allowing them to flow and take the shape of their containers. This physical property of water being able to adopt different shapes and states (liquid, solid, gas) supports its classification as a covalent compound, just like many other covalent substances.

While the other options present interesting properties of water, they are more focused on physical properties (like boiling point and electrical conductivity) rather than directly addressing its behavior as a covalent compound in terms of shape and formation.