Water molecules interact with other molecules through hydrogen bonding. Hydrogen bonding is a type of intermolecular force that occurs between a hydrogen atom and a fluorine, oxygen, or nitrogen atom. Hydrogen bonding is a strong intermolecular force, and it isresponsible for many of the properties of water, such as its high surface tension and high boiling point.
Polar molecules interact with water through hydrogen bonding. Nonpolar molecules do not interact with water through hydrogen bonding. Nonpolar molecules can be dissolved in water, but they do not interact with water molecules as strongly as polar molecules do.