water

Question 1

describe water as a molecule

Answer 1

water is a dipolar molecule as the oxygen is slightly negative and the hydrogen is slightly positive this causes hydrogen bonds to form between different water molecules between the hydrogen and oxygen atoms

Question 2

how is water a metabolite

Answer 2

-involved in many reactions like photosynthesis and hydrolysis
-important that the cytoplasm and plasma is made up of water

Question 3

how is water a solvent

Answer 3

-many substances dissolve in water due to the fact water is dipolar
-this enables many essential substances can be transported easily around animals and plants in the xylem or blood

Question 4

how does water have a high specific heat capacity

Answer 4

a lot of energy is required to raise the temperature of water this is because some of the heat energy is used to break the hydrogen bonds between water molecules

Question 5

why is having a high specific heat capacity useful

Answer 5

temperature of water remains relatively stable even if the surrounding temperature fluctuates, this keeps internal temperatures constant so enzymes dont denature

Question 6

how does water have a large latent heat of vaporisation

Answer 6

alot of energy is required to convert water from its liquid state to gaseous state as the hydrogen bonds between H and O have to be broken

Question 7

how is having a high latent heat of vaporisation beneficial to organisims

Answer 7

water provides a cooling effect for example when we sweat the heat energy from our skin is used to evaporate the water which cools the organisim

Question 8

how does water have strong cohesion

Answer 8

water molecules stick together by hydrogen bonds

Question 9

how is water having strong cohesion beneficial

Answer 9

-water moves up the xylem in a continuous stream this is easier than drawing up individual molecules
-cohesion also provides surface tension to water this enables small organisms to live on the surface of the water