Water Flashcards
Why is water described as dipolar?
The hydrogen atoms have a slightly positive charge, whereas the oxygen atom has a slightly negative charge, meaning it has both positive and negative poles, so is dipolar
What is the specific heat capacity of water like?
High SHC - water molecules stick together, so it takes more energy to separate them. This means that water has a high boiling point and acts as a buffer to sudden temperature variations
What is the latent heat of vaporisation of water like?
Large - hydrogen bonding between water molecules means that it takes a lot of energy to evaporate 1 gram of water, providing a cooling effect with little loss of water through evaporation
What is the cohesion of water like?
High cohesion due to hydrogen bonding - this allows water to be pulled up through a tube, such as xylem vessels in plants and produces surface tension where water meets air
How is water used in metabolism?
- used to break down many complex molecules by hydrolysis, and is produced in condensation reactions
- used in photosynthesis
- chemical reactions in water
How is water used as a solvent?
Water readily dissolves other substances eg. gases such as oxygen, waste such as urea, inorganic ions such as amino acids, and enzymes whose reactions take place in solution
