O.K., so we're designing a new home and I've been reading a lot; books, magazines and forums such as this hoping to find the answer to the question... what is the most cost effective system to build an energy efficient home. SIPs, double stud walls, 2x6 wall with rigid foam insulation on the exterior, spray foam, cellulose and so on. So many options, so little time.
Water interacts differently with charged and polar substances than with nonpolar substances because of the polarity of its own molecules. Water molecules are polar, with partial positive charges on the hydrogens, a partial negative charge on the oxygen, and a bent overall structure. The unequal charge distribution in a water molecule reflects the greater electronegativity, or electron-greediness, of oxygen relative to hydrogen: the shared electrons of the O-H bonds spend more time with the O atom than with the Hs.
The covalent bonds are therefore polar, and the oxygen atoms have a slight negative charge (from the presence extra electron share), while the hydrogens are slightly positive (from the extra un-neutralized protons). A water molecule consists of two atoms of hydrogen linked by covalent bonds to the same atom of oxygen. Atoms of oxygen are electronegative and attract the shared electrons in their covalent bonds. Consequently the electrons in the water molecule spend slightly more time around the oxygen atomic center and less time around the hydrogen atomic centers.