[Hiro]

Unlike a liquid or solid a gas will always expand to fill its container as best as is possible. However, water is hydrophilic because of its uniquely massive amounts of hydrogen bonds (not so much bonds as powerful associations), does it take this same quality through into its gaseous state?

To clarify- Does gaseous water NOT expand to fill its container in some cases because of its great capacity for hydrogen bonding?

[ISneezeFunny]

Actually...

Water is hydrophilic because... hydrophilic means (water loving... it will dissolve in water)... so water.. should dissolve in water. You're right about hydrogen bonding, but I was just clarifying.

All gases (ideally) expand to fill its container. When liquid water hits the boiling point, the hydrogen bonds are broken.

[Hiro]

Oh sorry about the hydrophilic thing.

So when water evaporates the hydrogen bonds are broken. I assume this also means that when in a gaseous state they cannot reform?

[ISneezeFunny]

Not unless something in the gas law changes... volume... temperature... these things will then force the hydrogen bonds to reform and condense (making it liquid) or sublimate (making it solid)

[Capuchin]

Think about what the difference between a liquid and a gas is.

A liquid turns to a gas when the particles have enough energy to break the bonds in the liquid! So you can see that if the case you're suggesting were true, you'd actually have liquid water, not gaseous water!

In a gaseous state there is still some hydrogen bonding, but the bonds are very quickly broken. As you go to even higher temperatures, the hydrogen bonds are even more short lived.