Biological Molecules - Water (2.1.2)

Question 1

List the properties of water.

Answer 1

High specific heat capacity

High latent heat of evaporation

Very cohesive

Lower density when solid

Good solvent

Question 2

Explain what having a high specific heat capacity means.

Answer 2

The hydrogen bonds in water can absorb a lot of energy before the temperature changes.

An environment that does not experience rapid temperature changes makes a good habitat.

Question 3

Explain what having a high latent heat of evaporation means?

Answer 3

It takes a lot of energy (heat) to break the hydrogen bonds between water molecules.

A lot of energy is used up when water evaporates.

This makes water good for cooling things.

Sweating cools the surface of the skin.

Question 4

Explain cohesion and how this property is useful in relation to water.

Answer 4

Cohesion is the attraction between molecules of the same type.

Water molecules are very cohesive because they are polar.

This makes water flow which makes it good for transporting substances.

Question 5

What is an ionic bond?

Answer 5

The electrostatic force of attraction between a positively charged metal ion and a negatively charged non-metal ion.