This documents contains important details relating to properties of water. Key terms, definitions, examples, and sample questions are provided. These concepts are explained and will aid you as you take general biology.
1: Polar covalent bonds in water molecules result
in hydrogen bonding
Water is a polar molecule with oxygen having partial negative charges and
hydrogen having partial positive charges.
The polarity of water enables the formation of hydrogen bonds between
water molecules.
Hydrogen bonds in water are weaker than covalent bonds but constantly
form, break, and reform.
Water's properties, including its high boiling point, cohesion, and ability to
dissolve substances, are a result of hydrogen bonding.
Hydrogen bonding in water leads to a higher level of structural order and
emergent properties.
2: Four emergent properties of water contribute to
Earth’s suitability for life
Cohesive behavior: Water forms hydrogen bonds, creating surface tension
and aiding nutrient transport.
Ability to moderate temperature: Water's high specific heat capacity
regulates climate and body temperature.
Expansion upon freezing: Water expands when freezing, allowing ice to
float and insulate aquatic organisms.
Versatility as a solvent: Water's polar nature enables it to dissolve various
substances, supporting biological processes.
Cohesion of Water Molecules
Water molecules stay close together due to hydrogen bonding, leading to
cohesion and high surface tension.
Hydrogen bonds in water help transport water and nutrients against gravity
in plants.
Adhesion of water to cell walls counteracts the downward pull of gravity in
plants.
Cohesion and adhesion enable tall trees to transport water more than 100
meters upward.
, Moderation of Temperature by Water
Water moderates air temperature by absorbing heat from warmer air and
releasing heat to cooler air.
Temperature represents the average kinetic energy of molecules, while
thermal energy reflects the total kinetic energy and depends on volume.
Heat is the transfer of thermal energy between objects of different
temperatures.
Water has a high specific heat, meaning it can absorb or release a large
amount of heat with only a slight change in temperature.
Specific heat is the amount of heat needed to change the temperature of 1
gram of a substance by 1 degree Celsius.
Water's high specific heat is due to hydrogen bonding, which requires heat to
break and releases heat when formed.
Water's high specific heat stabilizes temperature fluctuations on Earth and
creates a favorable environment for marine life.
Evaporation is the transformation of a liquid to a gas, and water has a high
heat of vaporization, requiring a large amount of heat to convert it.
Evaporative cooling occurs when molecules with the greatest kinetic energy
leave as gas, causing a decrease in temperature.
Floating of Ice on Liquid Water
Water's unique property of expanding when it freezes is due to hydrogen
bonding, making ice less dense than liquid water.
Water: The Solvent of Life
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