Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 1, 2026
10:28
Probing the Structure and Dynamics of Interfacial Water with Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Spectroscopy
Published on: May 27, 2018
8.4K
Understanding water's anomalies with locally favoured structures
1Department of Fundamental Engineering, Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8505, Japan.
Nature Communications
|April 4, 2014
Summary
Researchers used computer simulations to explore liquid water's complex structure. They identified specific molecular arrangements that explain water's unusual properties and phase behavior, offering new insights into its anomalous characteristics.
Area of Science:
- Physical Chemistry
- Computational Chemistry
- Materials Science
Background:
- Water exhibits unique properties, such as its density maximum at 4°C, which remain incompletely understood.
- A quantitative model describing water's phase behavior from molecular arrangements is currently lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the microscopic structural features of liquid water.
- To provide a quantitative description of water's phase behavior based on molecular structure.
Main Methods:
- Utilized advanced computer simulations to analyze water's molecular structure.
- Employed a two-state model to describe liquid water's behavior across its phase diagram.
Main Results:
- Identified locally favored structures with high translational order in the second shell.
- Discovered that these structures contain five-membered rings of hydrogen-bonded molecules.
- Demonstrated a mixed character of these structures, influencing crystallization.
Conclusions:
- Locally favored structures with specific ring configurations are key to understanding water's anomalies.
- The identified structures provide a molecular basis for water's phase behavior and unusual properties.
- This research offers a new framework for quantitatively describing liquid water.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Typical Model Studies
842
Fluid mechanics model studies often utilize scaled-down systems to predict fluid behavior in full-scale environments, such as river flows, dam spillways, and structures interacting with open surfaces. Maintaining Froude number similarity in river models is crucial, as it replicates surface flow features like wave patterns and velocities.
842
01:26Weir: Problem Solving
892
Water flow in open channels is often measured using hydraulic structures such as weirs, which allow precise calculation of discharge. In a rectangular channel, flow rates are measured using three types of weirs: rectangular sharp-crested, triangular sharp-crested, and broad-crested. The weir head is set at a fixed height above the channel bottom, simplifying calculations and enabling the relationship between depth and flow rate to be analyzed.For the rectangular sharp-crested weir, the flow...
892
01:22Local Attraction
513
Local attraction refers to disturbances in compass readings caused by magnetic influences from nearby objects such as metal fences, buried pipes, vehicles, buildings, power lines, or natural iron ore deposits. Small items like wristwatches, steel tools, or belt buckles can also interfere with the compass by creating local magnetic fields that distort the Earth's natural magnetic field. These distortions lead to inaccurate readings, posing navigation and land surveying challenges.Local...
513
01:25Aquaporins
5.0K
Aquaporins or AQPs are a family of integral membrane proteins whose primary function is to transport water, while some called aquaglyceroporins also transport glycerol. In addition, aquaporins have also been suspected to be involved in transporting volatile substances, such as carbon dioxide and ammonia, across membranes. Such AQPs that act as gas channels are often highly expressed in cells involved in the gaseous exchange, such as red blood cells, epithelial cells, and pulmonary capillaries.
5.0K
01:17Design Example: Analyzing Capacity Contours for Flood Risk Assessment
391
Flood risk assessment involves careful planning and analysis to ensure the safety of communities near water retention structures. Capacity contours are a vital tool in this process, as they illustrate the potential spread of water at specific levels in a given area. In the context of building a bund across a small valley, these contours play a critical role in evaluating the safety of nearby residential areas.In this example, the bund is intended to store stormwater in the valley. The engineers...
391
01:24Rapidly Varying Flow
731
Rapidly varying flow (RVF) in open channels is characterized by abrupt changes in flow depth over a short distance, with the rate of depth change relative to distance often approaching unity. These flows are inherently complex due to their transient and multi-dimensional nature, making exact analysis difficult. However, approximate solutions using simplified models provide valuable insights into their behavior.Key Features of Rapidly Varying FlowRVF is commonly observed in scenarios involving...
731