It seems like a strange question, but the truth is that science has no answer. Water can wet other objects. But is it wet itself?
Most scientists define moisture as the ability of a liquid to maintain contact with a solid surface.
Taking this statement into account, we realize that the water itself is not wetbut it can cause other sensations, explained the scientist Emma Davies in . But is it really so?
The scientist noted, despite the definition given above, that there are those who define something wet as “made of liquid or moisture”. In this case, water and other liquids They are, yes, wet.
O degree of humidity is defined by the balance between adhesion and cohesion forces. The first attract water to the surface of another material and encourage it to spreadexplains Science Focus, while the latter bind water molecules to each other and create a surface tension.
Therefore, the stronger the cohesion forces, the more the water tends to remain in the form of spherical droplets to minimize contact with a surface.
When the adhesion forces are stronger than the cohesion forces, the surface becomes wet. This is why detergents are often used which, in addition to helping with washing, reduce cohesion forces, improving the wetting capacity of an object, explained the scientist.
There are also, so to speak, liquids wetter than wateras is the case with alcohol. This is because, in the case of alcohol, there is a greater disparity between these two forces, so it “wets” surfaces better.
Everything also depends, of course, on the surface where the water is placed: some are more hydrophobic than others, that is, where the liquid does not penetrate as easily.
This hydrophobicity is defined through angles: a perfectly hydrophobic surface is completely water repellent, with a contact angle of 180°, while a completely “wettable” surface has a contact angle of zero.
In answer to whether water is wet: it depends on who you ask the question, and the surface that the water wets — yes, it is wet, unless it is hydrophobic.
If you’re still not convinced, don’t worry—scientists aren’t either.
