Water

Question 1

What is water made up of?

Answer 1

1 oxygen molecules
2 hydrogen molecules
(shared electrons)

Question 2

Why is water a polar molecule?

Answer 2

It has a partial negative and partial positive charge. The negatively charged oxygen atoms attract positively charged atoms (hydrogen bonding)

Question 3

Name the properties of water

Answer 3

1. Metabolite
2. High latent heat capacity
3. High specific heat capacity
4. Solvent
5. Strong cohesion

Question 4

Why is water an important metabolite?

Answer 4

Many metabolic reactions involve condensation and hydrolysis

Question 5

Why is water a useful solvent?

Answer 5

The polarity of water makes it a useful solvent in metabolic reactions

Question 6

What does it mean for water to have a high specific heat capacity?

Answer 6

It means that water can buffer changed in temperature meaning it doesn’t experience rapid temperature changes

Question 7

What does it mean for water to have a high latent heat of vaporisation?

Answer 7

Lots of energy is used up during vaporisation. Living organisms use water loss through evaporation to cool down without losing too much water

Question 8

What does it mean for water to have strong cohesion?

Answer 8

It helps transport substances up the xylem (high surface tension)