There would be no life on earth without water. Water is a liquid at room temperature due to hydrogen bonding. Water has a high heat of vaporization. Water has a high surface tension. The amount of energy required to overcome the attraction of molecules of a liquid for one another at the surface.
Water is an excellent solvent, often referred to as the universal solvent.
Vapor Pressure - the pressure in the gaseous state of those molecules that have escaped from the liquid at a given temperature. Boiling Point - the temperature at which the vapor pressure equals the atmospheric pressure. The dissolving medium. The substance present in a smaller amount in a solution. Solubility - the quantity of solute that will dissolve in a given amount of solvent at a given temperature.