Biochem: Weirdness of Water Flashcards
key characteristics, their importance to life, short answer mock questions
What factor(s) determine how different dyes separate and why?
- polarity
- diff measures of polarity affect rate of dissolving
- more polar = dissolves faster
Why do some colors travel farther than others?
varying polarity = varying attraction intensity to water
- more attracted = dissolves faster (Likes Dissolves LIkes)
Why is water’s polarity important?
- more polar = dissolves better in polar substances (H20) (Likes Dissolves Likes)
- important for most biochemical processes (our body is made majority of water)
- absorbs important nutrients (likes dissolves likes)
Adhesion importance to biology
Capillary action: useful for transporting water/nutrients in plants
Cohesion importance to biology
- Surface Tension: allows small particles to float on water, if sink = failed ecosystem
- contributes to high heat capacity = homeostasis
High Specific Heat Capacity importance
homeostasis
- resists sudden change in body internal environment
High Freezing Point importance
- prevents drastic changes in an aquatic environment
- if lake freezes easily, ecosystem dies
Dissociation
- adjusts pH levels and conditions that can sustain life and kill certain bacteria who cannot maintain homeostasis as well as the human body
Density
- ice floats to top, allows life underneath to be both insulated and alive
Explain why water other small molecules like methane and dinitrogen are gases at room temperature, whereas water is a liquid
water is extremely polar with its H-bonds that are constantly breaking and reforming
Water is a liquid at room temperature. Explain why this is unusual and then explain why it occurs.
H2O is a molecule with covalent bonds, usually should be gas at room temp. however due to h-bonds (extremely strong dipole-dipole), water molecules are more cohesive and stay as liquid at room temp
