Water cluster

Water clusters are unstable, usually short-lived groupings of water molecules to form larger molecular networks.

Use of the term in physical chemistry

The assumption of the existence of these objects based on the known anomaly of water. Water has an unusually high for its molecular mass melting and boiling point, which is explained with the, as compared to other intermolecular forces, very strong hydrogen bonds. Through them, the water molecules are connected, resulting in properties that usually have only much heavier substances. According to structural studies of the University of California from 2006 to thereby form liquid water as well in the short term long chains and rings, within which the water molecules are surrounded as in solid ice tetrahedrally by four other water particles.

The density anomaly, namely that water decreases its density with cooling of 3.98 ° C to the freezing point, is also explained by an incipient formation of crystal- like structures. However, that these structures are unstable and not firmly assembled molecular networks. When the water molecules are bound by hydrogen bonds to each other, there is a constant fluctuation. The lifetime of a hydrogen bond is typically in the range of 1 ... 20 ps (ps = ​​picosecond = 10-12 sec ), which complicates the experimental investigation of water clusters.

Use of the term in the esoteric

Water clusters are called in esoteric and in water -activated sludge systems ( see revitalized water ) as carriers of unspecified information. The most well-known representative of these ideas is the Japanese Masaru Emoto. He claims that water save emotions and this one could recognize the structures of snow and ice crystals. Also for the alleged transfer of information in the water in homeopathy to be responsible water clusters. The claimed effects are not systematically detected nor they are based on scientific evidence.