Water and oil two are very important substances for humans. These can be differentiated from each other very easily as these two are very basic substances in our daily life.
They can be distinguished based on their appearance, uses and chemical properties.
Their physical characteristics are as diverse as their chemical traits, and these aspects can be used to draw the differences between them.
Key Takeaways
- Water is a colorless and odorless liquid that is essential for life and has a high boiling point, whereas oil is a viscous liquid used as a fuel and lubricant with a low boiling point.
- Water is polar and can dissolve many substances, while oil is nonpolar and cannot dissolve most substances.
- Water is denser than oil, meaning water sinks to the bottom while oil floats on top.
Water vs Oil
The difference between water and oil is that water does not have any taste, but oil possesses the taste, again water is odourless, but oil is not. Oil has different smells. Also, water is transparent and does not contain any colours. On the other hand, different types of oil carry different colours.
Water is a tasteless, odourless, transparent substance that is vital for the survival of the earth and all the living beings in it.
All the important fields of civilisation such as agriculture, industry and even daily life are indebted to water.
Oil is a thick and coloured substance that does not get mixed with water. It has many types, and all different forms have different uses that are very valuable for human beings.
Oils also have different smells based on the type of oil.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Water | Oil |
|---|---|---|
| Usage | Water is vital for the survival of humans. | Different types of oil can be used for different purposes. |
| Odour | Water is odourless. | Oil is not odourless. |
| Taste | Water is tasteless. | Oil is not tasteless. |
| Polar | Water is known as a polar substance. | Oil is known to be non-polar. |
| Colour | Water is colourless. | Oil has colour. |
| Solvent | Water can work as a great solvent. | Oil is not a popular solvent. |
What is Water?
Water is a basic substance for living beings and surviving without it is beyond any possibilities. The deficiency of water will just demolish the human race.
Water in its natural form is odourless, tasteless, shapeless and colourless. Water is transparent. Water is called H2O in chemistry because it carries two molecules of Hydrogen and one molecule of Oxygen.
It has three states solid, liquid and gas. The state we know as water is liquid, the solid-state is ice, and the gas state of water is called vapour.
Many other substances get dissolved in water. Water is the universal solvent. Both mineral and organic elements can get dissolved by water.
Water is unavoidable for humans. As acknowledged before, it is vital for agriculture, and water is also the primary element to extinguish the outbreak of fire.
Daily life is unsteady without water. For cooking, bathing, nourishing, water is the primary condition. Industrial processes can not ply without water.
All the fields such as agriculture, industry and simple daily life need water to run. All the processes of nature depend on the water. Rain, snow, storm, every natural phenomenon can get hindered without enough water.
This is why conservation of water and stopping wastage of water is very important for planet earth, and its living creatures.
What is Oil?
Oil is a hydrophobic substance which means it has a fear of water. As a result, it does not get mix with water. It is thick in nature and has colour as well as taste. Oil can have different types.
Oil is basically the extraction of other substances. Oil retains colour, and the colour depends on the type of oil. Oil can be motor oil, cooking oil, body oil, vegetable oil, mineral oil or hair oil.
Some oils are edible, like vegetable oil and animal oil. These oils are used in cooking in everyday life. Animal fat is a great source of nutrients.
Vegetable oils like sunflower oil and coconut oil are good for health too. The process of cooking can not even begin without the use of oil.
The use of oil is extensive as fuel. Petrol, gasoline, diesel all are oils that are useful for us. Motor oil can be used as lubrication as well. Oil is utilised in the painting too.
Even in skincare, oil gets used. Body oil and hair oil are used to smoothen the roughness of skin and hair.
Main Differences Between Water and Oil
- Water and oil are so diverse in nature that they can not get mix with each other.
- Water, on its basic characteristics, is odourless, but on the contrary, different kinds of oils have different smells. No type of oil is odourless.
- Another basic trait of water is that water does not retain any colour. It is transparent, whereas oil has colours. Its colours depend on the kind of oil.
- Fundamentally water does not have any taste unless any other substances are mixed with it, whereas different sorts of oils possess different kinds of taste.
- Water is capable of working as a great solvent. It is widely used in various chemical reactions and experiments, it can dissolve sugar and salt very easily, but on the other hand, oil is not widely used as a solvent.
- Water is another name for life. Living beings can not stay alive without water, but oil is not inevitable in life. Water is a must in life, but oil can be optional in extreme situations.
- Water can be consumed directly, but oil can not be consumed directly without cooking.
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1353256196000217
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10620-009-1096-6
Last Updated : 11 June, 2023
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
This is basic Chemistry, however, I liked the table comparing the properties of water and oil. It’s helpful.
An insightful read, and we get to learn a lot about water and oil, even if we think we know everything there is to know about them.
This article is quite comprehensive and offers a good learning experience. It’s beneficial for people who want to deepen their knowledge about water and oil.
Yes, I found the table comparing the properties very helpful. It’s a well-structured piece.
A thorough analysis of water and oil. Gives a clear understanding of the differences between the two.
I’d like to see a more in-depth focus on the chemical properties of water and oil, but other than that, it is a well-written article.
Some may argue that water and oil don’t hold the same importance, but I find this article to be an elucidative comparison of the two substances.
In regards to this, I am not sure that they are the most important ones, but the article provides good information about them.
I see this article as a great starting point to get a deeper understanding of the two substances.
An interesting article. I liked the way it portrayed the differences between Water and Oil, two very essential substances.
I agree, this article is quite informative and gives clear reasons to differentiate between the two substances.