Water Properties Flashcards
What are the kind of bonds that form in the water molecule?
Hydrogen bonds between molecules, covalent within
What allows hydrogen bonds to form?
polarity
cohesive meaning:
something that sticks together
adhesion meaning:
sticking to other objects
What is the difference between heat and temperature?
heat: amount of molecules vibrating
temperature: the level of heat
bathtub example
what is heat capacity?
a measure of heat required to raise temp of something
water has a high heat capacity
what is 1 thermal calorie do?
raise the temperature of 1g of water by 1 degree C
Why is water so good at storing heat (high thermal inertia)?
high heat capacity means that it can absorb a lot of energy before the temperature changes
Why is water density special?
When water freezes it gets less dense than a liquid (opposite of everything else)
it expands when it freezes
What is the difference between latent and sensible heat?
Latent heat is related to changes in phase between liquids, gases, and solids.
Sensible heat is related to changes in temperature of a gas or object with no change in phase
How much of the oceans (on average) is salt?
3.5%
What does the presence of salt do to the latent energy?
It takes less energy to do things (melting, etc) which is why it is added to roads and stuff
What happens to salt when sea water freezes?
it is excluded and doesn’t freeze, remaining unfrozen water becomes more salty/more dense
How does the Gulf Stream impact weather?
transports warm water from the equator to the north atlantic
How does water vapor movement impact weather?
equator gets direct solar radiation consistently
poles get diffuse solar radiation for ½ year
the redistribution of heat energy helps moderate these extremes
What is solar irradiance when it comes to the oceans?
surface ocean temperatures are higher at the equator, and
get lower towards the poles
more evaporation and precipitation at the equator
What are the 3 density zones in the ocean?
surface
pycnocline
deep
Describe the surface zone of the ocean
top layer, light reaches, least dense water, temp and salinity constant with depth
Describe the pycnocline zone of the ocean
density increases with depth due to temp decrease, thermocline (temperature layered)
describe the deep zone of the ocean
dense throughout, cold and stable
salty, dense water masses will descend until they encounter…?
a layer of equal density
what is refraction?
the “bending” of waves
water refracts light
what is the refractive index?
the degree to which a substance refracts a wave
what is absorption?
water molecules vibrate and absorb electromagnetic radiation
energy converted to heat
blue light penetrates _____ than red light
further
its why the ocean looks blue
How does sound travel in water?
It is much more efficient and travels faster (5x)
