But individual atoms are not held to any other specific atoms, hence atoms slip easily past one another. Thus metals are ductile. Metallic Bonding is the basis of our industrial civilization. Hydrogen Bonding Hydrogen Bonding is Geologically Important A. Water molecules are asymmetrical. It takes a lot of energy to pull them apart.
Water has a high heat capacity.
It takes a lot of energy to melt ice and vaporize water. Thus water is the principal heat reservoir on the Earth. The asymmetrical charge distribution on a water molecule makes it very effective in dissolving ionically-bonded materials. It is the closest thing to a universal solvent. Water is very effective at transporting ions and dissolved nutrients in the human body.