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Water properties summary
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A summary outlining the properties of water for A level biology, specifically for OCR A
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Water properties:Water is a polar molecule (Polar: When a molecule has an uneven distribution of charge
causing a delta charge)
Water is a good solvent
Water is less dense when ice and acts as an insulator when it is ice.
Water has a high SHC, so it requires a lot of energy to break the hydrogen bonds in water.
Water has hydrogen bonds
Water has cooling properties
Water is cohesive and adhesive
The polar charges allow water to be a good solvent as it is slightly attracted to everything
and can align itself in order to be attracted to mineral ions dissolved in water. This allows
anything dissolved in water to be mixed and distributed evenly, benefitting living organisms
and with the transportation of mineral ions around their bodies. This also links to how water
has cohesion and adhesion (cohesion being attraction to itself and adhesion being attraction
to other molecules). This means that water in a xylem of a plant can travel up easily using
osmosis and adhesion, keeping the plant hydrated.
The high SHC (SHC is the amount of energy required to change the temperature of 1kg of
substance by 1oC) allows water to be a thermostable environment for aquatic life or for our
enzymes to keep the temperature in a healthy range. Water has a high SHC as there are a
lot of hydrogen bonds that need to be broken, and hydrogen bonds can absorb a lot of
energy before it breaks. This also means water won’t freeze easily, helping keep aquatic life
alive during colder periods of time. The high SHC also provides water with cooling properties
as it takes a lot of energy to evaporate, so it absorbs the excess thermal energy from living
beings such as humans and cools them off.
Water being less dense when frozen into ice allows it to float on top of large bodies of water
such as oceans or lakes, providing a habitat for animals who live in colder conditions such
as artic foxes or polar bears. This also maintains a good habitat for aquatic life living under
the water, as ice is a good insulator and ensures to keep their environment stable despite
the top layer being frozen over.
Key Properties of Water
● Water is a polar molecule with an uneven charge distribution
● It's an excellent solvent due to its polar nature
● Water has high specific heat capacity (SHC)
● It exhibits both cohesive and adhesive properties
Biological and Environmental Significance
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