Water Flashcards
what does it mean for an element to be polar?
they have regions of negativity and regions of positivity.
is oxygen slightly negative or slightly positive?
slightly negative.
is hydrogen slightly negative or slight positive?
slightly positive.
what types of bonding forms between polar molecules?
hydrogen bonding.
are hydrogen bonds strong or weak?
weak but they occur in high numbers.
why is water critical life?
- density of ice is lower than density of water.
- water can act as solvent for ionic compounds.
- water has a high specific latent heat of vaporisation.
- hydrogen bonds cause cohesion and adhesion.
- cohesion causes surface tension.
how does ice being less dense than water help life?
only the top layer of the sea will freeze so organisms underneath can survive. this is due to the lattice formed by hydrogen bonds.
how is water acting as a solvent for ionic compounds crucial to life?
transporting minerals from the roots to the shoots of plants. can be done as water is polar.
how does having a high latent heat of vaporisation in water aid life?
it means that the temperature of water stays constant. this is because hydrogen bonds are strong so it’s difficult to break bonds (buffer.)
why is it good that hydrogen bonds cause cohesion and adhesion?
plants transport water through transpiration stream through capillary action.
why is it good that cohesio causes surface tension?
this allows organisms to live on the water surface.
