Water Flashcards
What are the 5 key properties of water?
- It is a metabolite
- An important solvent in reactions
- Has a high specific heat capacity
- Has a large latent heat of vaporisation
- Has strong cohesion between water molecules
How is water a metabolite and why is this important?
Water is involved in many reactions such as photosynthesis, hydrolysis and condensation
These reactions are essential to life
How is water a solvent and why is this important?
Many substances dissolve in water
This enables many essential substances to be transported around the body
How does water have a high specific heat capacity and why is this important?
A lot of energy is required to raise the temperature of water
This is important as water resists changes in temperature
How does water have a large latent heat of vaporisation and why is this important?
A lot of energy is needed to change water from a liquid to a gas
This is important as it provides a cooling effect through evaporation
How does water have strong cohesion and why is this important?
Water has strong cohesion between water molecules due to hydrogen bonding
This is important as it supports colums of water in plants
