Moog from New Jersey writes:
Why is water wet? Or does it just feel wet because we’re all so dry?
Thank you for the question, Moog.
We’re definitely not dry. As a matter of fact, we humans are mostly water ourselves, about 75% in fact.
To answer that question, we should first define wet. According to a google search, wet can be defined in two ways relevant to your question:
- covered or soaked with a liquid such as water; “a wet bathing suit”; “wet sidewalks”; “wet weather”
- moisture: wetness caused by water
It would seem that water in and of itself is considered wet. One might surmise that this is because it is a liquid. I would say that’s wrong because the air around is is a liquid yet we don’t consider it wet.
I think we consider water “wet” because of two important properties of this liquid:
- It’s density. It’s much denser than air so when we come into contact with it, it feels much more substantial. Unlike air we can feel it, see it, touch it and taste it.
- Surface tension
Water has a very high serface tension. That means that water is very attracted to itself, and it tends to adhere to other things. If you dunk your head into a bowl of water, most of the water remains in the bowl but some of it remains on your head and in your hair because of surface tension and adhesion. Unlike the liquid air, water stays on you and you feel it and call it “wet” until it evaporates. When it does evaporate, you no longer feel it on you so you are dry.
I hope this answers your question. If you have any other questions or require further clarification to this question, please do not hesitate to write in at any time.
