Water Flashcards
How would you describe the main feature of water?
Dipolar because there is an uneven distribution of charge throughout the molecule as the oxygen atom has a slight negative charge, while the hydrogen atoms have small positive charges, so the water molecule has both positive and negative charges so is therefore dipolar.
What type of bond is in water molecules?
Hydrogen bonds because the opposite charged poles of each water molecule attracts each other, and this attractive force is a hydrogen bond
Together the large amount of weak hydrogen bonds in water causes water molecules to stick .
Describe the specific heat capacity of water
Because the water molecules stick together ( due to the presence of a large number of hydrogen bonds) it takes a large amount of energy to separate them meaning the boiling point of water is relativley high. This means it has a high specific heat capacity. Without the hydrogen bonds in water, water would be a gas at room temperature.
Describe the latent heat of vapourisation of water
Hydrogen bonding between water molecules means it requires alot of energy to evaporate 1 gram of water
Describe how cohesion and surface tension of water is a benefit
Due to hydrogen bonding, water has large cohesive forces and this allows it to be puled up a tube such as a xylem vessel
Surface tension of water is when water meets air, and this is a benefit because it means it can be used as a habitat
How is water used in metabolism?
Water breaks down many complex molecules by hyrdolysis
Chemical reactions take place in aqeous mediums
Water is a raw material of photosynthesis
How is water used as a solvent?
Dissolves gases so they can be transported such as carbon dioxide and oxygen, wastes such as ammonia and urea , inorganic molecules such as ATP and monosaccharides and enzymes
How is water used to regulate the body temperature of a living organism?
The evaporation of water from the body surface cools animals down, sweating
How does waters transparency help living organisms
Aquatic plants can absorb light and photosyntheisise, light rays can pass through the sclera and reach the retina.
