Social media has been plagued with one simple question lately: “Is water wet?” This single question has sparked a global debate, arguments between friend groups, split up families (okay, it hasn’t done that) but it is causing a considerable amount of hysteria. People are being split into three groups, those who think water is wet (the wrong group), those who think water isn’t wet, and those who just don’t care. If you are a part of the group who thinks water is not wet, congratulations, you have a reasonable amount of common sense; if you’re part of the group who thinks water is wet, this article is to inform you why you’re undeniably wrong.

Water simply cannot be wet. It just can’t. Water makes things wet, therefore it cannot make itself wet. Wetness is a term used for when water or some other kind of liquid is on top of or covering a surface or object. Therefore, saying that water is wet is implying that water is on top of water, which cannot be. When you pour water onto water, it just makes a larger amount of water, so more than one H20 molecules. However if you were to pour water onto something like, a piece of paper for example, the paper would be covered in water molecules, making it wet.

Picture this; you’re sitting on the beach when it starts raining. Your hair gets wet, your clothes get wet, even the sand gets wet, but those things will dry. However, when it rains into the ocean the ocean is not wet, it just contains more water, and it cannot be dried. Taking the water away from the ocean and “drying it” takes away the ocean itself. This question isn’t up for debate, it’s been answered.