1.7 Water Flashcards
Why is Water important?
It is a metabolite in many reactions such as condensation and hydrolysis
It is a solvent i.e.) cytoplasm
It has a high latent heat and high specific heat capacity so is used to control temperature
They are cohesive so helps transportation in plants.
What is water?
Molecule of H2O which is polar and can form H Bonds with each other.
Why is water a good solvent?
Because it is polar, it will surround ions with oppositely charged sides. If the ion is positive, the -O will surround whereas if the ion is positive the H+ will surround
Why does water have a high latent heat of vaporisation?
As the H bond are very strong, they don’t easily break and requires a lot of heat to do so. This means that if the molecules separate they will evaporate and remove heat from the system
What is strong cohesion in water?
This is due to the polar molecule forming H bonds, and it allows a high surface tension and allows droplets to form in sweat and small organisms to ‘walk’ on water.
