Water's properties Flashcards
Waters ability to form hydrogen bonds is crucial for life because it enables-
The cohesion and adhesion of water molecules
How does adhesion of water to polar surfaces benefit animals?
It helps keep respiratory surfaces moist, which is essential for effective gas exchange.
Least soluble in water
nonpolar molecules
Which chemical group can act as an acid?
Carboxyl
Which is responsible for the cohesive property of water?
Hydrogen bonds
What is capillary action?
the ascension of liquids through a tube.
Why does water heat up less faster than the ground?
Water has a higher specific heat capacity than the ground
Describe electronegativity.
An atom’s ability to attract & hold electrons.
The more electronegative, the more strongly the atom attracts shared electrons.
Water is required for-
1.) growth and copying of natural molecules
2.) Formation of compartments, which allowed the development of internal chemistry different from the surrounding environment
What feature makes water essential to living things?
Water is the medium for metabolic reactions.
State which element of water exerts a stronger pull on electrons. Answer in one word only.
Oxygen, (Oxygen is more electronegative than hydrogen, which means it attracts the shared electrons with more force.)
In water, what causes the formation of hydrogen bonds?
Attraction between the partially negative oxygen of one water molecule and the partially positive hydrogen of a different water molecule.
The type of bond found between atoms within a water molecule is _____________.
polar covalent, The hydrogen and oxygen atoms share a pair of valence electrons which makes the bond covalent. The electrons are shared unevenly, making the bond polar. This is known as a polar covalent bond.
The spotted fishing spider (Dolomedes triton) lives in aquatic habitats and can run across the surface of water. Which property of water allows spiders to run across the surface of water?
Cohesive property (creates film layer at the top - surface tension)
Which is most likely to be true of a hydrophobic molecule?
It will have no charge.
Which is most likely to be caused by only capillary action?
The movement of water through pores in the soil.
__________ is the complex process of chemical reactions occurring in living organisms.
Metabolism
Identify the properties of hydrophilic molecules.
They are polar and can dissolve in water. (water-loving)
Water has a ____ thermal conductivity compared with other liquids
high
________ is resistance to flow and is related to how much energy is needed to change the shape of a liquid.
Viscosity, Water has a low viscosity compared to other liquids
______ is a force that counteracts the force of gravity.
Buoyancy, The high density of liquid water creates high buoyancy,
______________ is the ability of a substance to transfer heat when there is a temperature difference.
Thermal Conductivity, Water has a high thermal conductivity compared with other liquids
______________ is how much energy is needed to raise the temperature of a substance.
Specific heat capacity, Water has a high specific heat capacity.
State the force that counteracts gravity on a partially or fully submerged object.
Buoyancy
Loons hold their wings out while flying but these are tucked close to their body while swimming – which answer explains these behaviours?
Holding wings out increases lift, while wings held in reduces drag.
On a hot and sunny day, the surface temperature of a lake increases less than the surface temperature of the ground beside it – what characteristic of water explains this?
Water has a higher specific heat capacity than the ground.
Water on earth most likely came from _______.
asteroids/comets
What is the term for the orbital region around a star where conditions permit liquid water?
Goldilocks zone
_________ is the force of attraction between water and the Earth that helps hold water on the Earth’s surface.
Gravity
Which two forces are key in explaining why Earth has retained liquid water?
moderate temperature and gravity
What feature of liquid water makes it the focus of the search for extraterrestrial life?
Water can dissolve the building blocks of life as well as the enzymes that catalyse the reactions that make up metabolism.
The difference in electronegativity between hydrogen and oxygen leads to ___________ within water molecules and hydrogen bonds between them.
polar covalent bonds
Water’s ________ property leads to surface tension.
cohesive
Water can dissolve many substances including substrates, such as _____, and enzymes, such as _____, needed in metabolism. The solvent properties also allow organisms to make water-based solutions to transport dissolved substances.
sugar, amylase
Compared with air, water is ________ and ________.
buoyant, viscous
Water is _______ to polar and charged substances which are known as hydrophilic
adhesive
Water has high ____________ and high specific __________ compared with air.
thermal conductivity, heat capacity
The moderate temperature of the Earth keeps water _____ and gravity allows water to be _____.
The concept of the “_________”, is the orbital area around a sun where a planet or natural satellite might have liquid water.
liquid, retained, goldilocks zone
