Is Water Wet? The Eternal Conundrum Solved

is water wet

Some questions have been puzzling philosophers for thousands of years: Who are we? Is the universe real? What’s the purpose? Is water wet? In this article, you’ll find the answer to the last question and prove once and for all that water isn’t wet.

Is Water Wet?

Water

This seems like such a simple and innocent question. However, it sparked many debates and conflicts all across the globe.

On one hand, there are those who consider water wet. Their main argument is pretty straightforward: water is wet since it makes everything wet. Additionally, some of the stronger proponents of this theory take things even further.

Namely, they claim that a water molecule isn’t itself wet. However, when it touches another molecule, they both become wet.

On the other hand, those who claim water isn’t wet also have some strong arguments. First of all, they claim water can’t be wet since it can’t be dry. If anything becomes wet, it can just as well be dried. However, neither of those adjectives can be used to describe water.

Additionally, people suggest that wet refers to objects touched by a liquid, but not the liquid itself. Similarly, you wouldn’t say the fire is burned, even though the thing caught by that fire would be considered burned.

Finally, proponents of this theory say that pouring water over different objects makes them wetter. On the other hand, pouring more water over water doesn’t change anything in terms of wetness.

As you can see, the answer to this question is not so clear-cut after all. However, although this opinion might be controversial, I think water isn’t wet, and here’s why.

Why Water Can’t Be Wet

Why

When those who claim that water is wet talk about wetness, they misuse a Google Dictionary definition. This dictionary defines wet as covered or saturated with water or another liquid. Therefore, considering water molecules are covering each other, it would be easy to conclude that water is, in fact, wet.

However, what they fail to mention is that the molecules on the surface are not covered by other molecules. By their standards, this would mean that the surface isn’t wet while the rest of the water is. Furthermore, since the water molecules touch the air molecules, wouldn’t that make the air wet?

I think this conundrum begins with the definition. Although the definition of wet from Google is in line with my opinion that water isn’t wet, I think there’s a far better definition.

Namely, the definition of wetting says that it’s the ability of a liquid to maintain contact with a solid surface. Therefore, it’s clear that water cannot be considered wet.

Final Thoughts

So now you’ll be clear on the ultimate question: Is water wet? Merely googling the question will give you a definitive answer: “Water isn’t wet by itself, but it makes other materials wet when it sticks to the surface of them.” Case closed.

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