Water Flashcards
Water is polar, what does that mean?
There is an uneven distribution of charge throughout the molecule
Why are water molecules polar?
The oxygen atoms attracts electrons a bit more strongly than the hydrogen atoms, giving a slight negative charge near the oxygen and a slightly positive charge near the hydrogens
What does water having a high heat specific capacity mean?
It means a lot of energy is needed to heat up the water, so it minimises temperature fluctuations- acts as a buffer
What does water having a relatively large latent heat of vaporisation mean?
It provides a cooling effect with little water loss
Why does water have strong cohesion?
-enables effective transport of water in tube-like cells- supports columns of water
-surface tensions at water-air boundary is high
Why is the waters density good?
Ice is less dense than water, meaning it floats on top and creates an insulating layer
-increases chance of survival
Why is water being incompressible good?
It provided good support
