# Water’s key properties

You have now learned about a number of properties of water that make it important, both for the environment and for life.

- A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms.
- Water is a polar molecule.
- Water molecules are attracted to one another by hydrogen bonds.
- Water has a high specific heat capacity, so it can balance temperature differences.
- Water is an efficient coolant when evaporating.
- Water is the universal solvent for life.
- Water is a transport medium for ions, nutrients and waste.
- Water takes part in reactions, some of which can change the acidity of a solution.

As such an important molecule for life and the environment, finding water beyond Earth would have huge significance. In the next section you will learn how to find it.

OpenLearn - The search for water on Mars
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