Biological molecules - water Flashcards
What is water’s structure?
one atom of oxygen bonded to two atoms of hydrogen
Which atom in water is slightly positive and which is slightly negative?
Oxygen = slightly negative
Hydrogen = slightly positive
What are water’s 6 main properties?
High specific heat capacity
High latent heat of evaporation
cohesive
good solvent
less dense when solid
adhesive
What is specific heat capacity?
The amount of energy it requires to raise the temperature of 1 gram of substance by 1 degree
Water has a high latent heat of evaporation. What does this mean?
It takes a lot of energy to break the hydrogen bonds between water molecules.
Why is water a good solvent?
It’s polar. This means it has a slight positive and slight negative charge so it’s attracted to both positive and negative ions.
Why are water molecules cohesive?
They are polar so water molecules are attracted to each other causing them to flow.
