water Flashcards
what does the difference in electronegativity of the oxygen and hydrogen in water result in
an uneven distribution of charge, making it a polar molecule
as water is polar, what bonds can it form
hydrogen bonds
what is specific heat capacity
the energy needed to raise water by 1 degrees celcius
why does water have a high specific heat capacity
the hydrogen bonds between water molecules can absorb alot of energy as collectively they are strong
why is water having a high specific heat capacity beneficial to organisms
water doesnt experience rapid temperature changes providing a stable habitat
why does water have a high latent heat of vapourisation
lots of energy needed to break hydrogen bonds
why is water having a high latent heat of vapourisation beneficial to organisms
when hydrogen bonds break, this energy is lost to the surroundings providing a cooling effect
what is special about ice
less dense than water and so floats
why does ice float
hydrogen bonds fix the water molecules further apart in its solid state
why is it important for organisms that ice floats
provides a habitat for some organisms as well as providing an insulating layer so organisms can move around in the water
why is water a good solvent
polar molecule which can attract/ bind to solutes to dissolve them
what can water dissolve
ions as they are charged
why is it important that water dissolves ions
often useful salts in the body that need to be transported
what is cohesion
the attraction between molecules of the same type
why is water cohesive
its polar
