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Limnology > The Properties of Water > Flashcards

The Properties of Water Flashcards

1
Q

This substance makes life possible on Earth

A

Water

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2
Q

What is the only common substance to exist in the natural environment in all three physical states of matter?

A

Water

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3
Q

This aspect of the water molecule allows it to interact with other molecules

A

Structure

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4
Q

In the water molecule, electrons are shared between oxygen and hydrogen in this type of bond

A

Covalent

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5
Q

What type of covalent bond is present in a water molecule?

A

Polar covalent bond

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6
Q

What causes the covalent bonds in water molecules to be polar?

A

Electronegativity

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7
Q

The unevenly distributed overall charge of a water molecule makes it this

A

Polar molecule

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8
Q

The polarity of water molecules allows them to form this type of bond with other water molecules

A

Hydrogen bond

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9
Q

What are the four properties of water that contribute to Earth’s suitability for life?

A
  1. Cohesive behavior; 2. Ability to moderate temperature; 3. Expansion upon freezing; 4. Versatility as a solvent
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10
Q

This is the force that holds substances together, as in when hydrogen bonds hold water molecules together

A

Cohesion

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11
Q

This is an attraction between different substances, as in when hydrogen bonds hold water to a container

A

Adhesion

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12
Q

This is created by the combined forces of attraction among the cohesive and adhesive forces of water

A

Capillary action

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13
Q

What are three ways that capillary action allows water to move?

A
  1. Through porous materials; 2. Through narrow spaces; 3. Upwards against gravity
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14
Q

This is a measure of how difficult it is to break the surface of a liquid

A

Surface tension

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15
Q

What causes surface tension?

A

Cohesion/adhesion below surface of liquid

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16
Q

This causes water to have an unusually high surface tension

A

Hydrogen bonding

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17
Q

Can some organisms take advantage of water’s surface tension?

A

Yes

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18
Q

These are compounds that lower surface tension

A

Surfactants

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19
Q

What are the two parts of a surfactant molecule?

A

Hydrophobic and hydrophilic parts

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20
Q

Which part of a surfactant molecule often has a charge that interrupts bonds?

A

Hydrophilic part

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21
Q

What are five ways in which surfactants may act?

A

Detergents, wetting agents, emulsifiers, foaming agents, and dispersants

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22
Q

What are two ways that water moderates temperature?

A

Absorbing heat from warmer air and releasing heat to cooler air

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23
Q

Is the temperature of the water greatly affected when it absorbs or releases heat?

A

No

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24
Q

This is the energy of motion

A

Kinetic energy

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25
Q

This is the kinetic energy associated with random motion of atoms/molecules

A

Thermal energy

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26
Q

Is ‘heat’ the same thing as ‘temperature’?

A

No

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27
Q

This is a form of energy that moves from hotter to cooler regions, aka energy in transit

A

Heat

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28
Q

This is the average measure of kinetic energy in molecules, aka thermal energy

A

Temperature

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29
Q

Does temperature increase when molecules are heated?

A

Yes

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30
Q

This is the amount of heat required to alter one gram of a substance’s temperature by one degree Celsius

A

Specific heat

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31
Q

What is the specific heat of water?

A

1 calorie

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32
Q

Water resists temperature changes because of this

A

High specific heat

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33
Q

Why does water have high specific heat?

A

Hydrogen bonds

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34
Q

What happens to heat when hydrogen bonds are broken?

A

Heat is absorbed from environment into the water

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35
Q

What happens to heat when hydrogen bonds are formed?

A

Heat is released into the environment from the water

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36
Q

The high specific heat of water minimizes temperature fluctuations to within limits to permit this

A

Life

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37
Q

Do aquatic organisms commonly experience drastic temperatures changes?

A

No

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38
Q

What are three important roles of heat in bodies of water?

A
  1. Controlling stratification throughout the year; 2. Relation to the metabolism/physiology/behaviors of aquatic organisms; 3. Influencing how chemicals/metals dissolve in water
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39
Q

This is the mass per unit of volume of a substance, or how closely packed “stuff” is within a given area

A

Density

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40
Q

Why does ice float in liquid water?

A

Hydrogen bonds in ice are more ordered, making the ice less dense than the liquid water

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41
Q

At what temperature does water reach its greatest density?

A

4 degrees C

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42
Q

If ice sank, would life be possible on Earth?

A

No

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43
Q

Are hydrogen bonds between water molecules more stable in ice or liquid water?

A

Ice

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44
Q

This is a liquid that is a completely homogeneous mixture of substances

A

Solution

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45
Q

A substance that is this has the same uniform appearance and composition throughout

A

Homogeneous

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46
Q

This is the dissolving agent of the solution

A

Solvent

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47
Q

This is a substance that is dissolved

A

Solute

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48
Q

This is a solution in which water is the solvent

A

Aqueous solution

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49
Q

Why is water a versatile solvent?

A

Polarity

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50
Q

When an ionic compound is dissolved in water, each ion is surrounded by a sphere of water molecules called this

A

Hydration shell

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51
Q

These interactions allow water to dissolve nonionic polar molecules

A

Van der waals interactions

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52
Q

What are four commonly dissolved solutes in water?

A

Bicarbonate; Calcium; Silica; Sulfate

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53
Q

This common water solute is a natural mineral component, found in limestone

A

Bicarbonate (HCO3)

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54
Q

Bicarbonate acts as this in water to control pH

A

Buffer

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55
Q

This common water solute is leached by weathering from soils and rocks

A

Calcium (Ca)

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56
Q

This common water solute is needed in animal diets

A

Calcium

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57
Q

This common water solute dissolves from sand, rock, and minerals

A

Silica (SiO2)

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58
Q

This common water solute is required by algae and plants for growth

A

Silica

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59
Q

This common water solute is leached by weathering from soils and rocks

A

Sulfate (SO4)

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60
Q

This common water solute can change pH and feed bacteria

A

Sulfate

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61
Q

What is a human source of sulfate in aquatic systems?

A

Sewage/industrial discharges

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62
Q

This is the way that substances move through water

A

Diffusion

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63
Q

What are four things that diffuse through water?

A

Nutrients, gases, contaminants, heat

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64
Q

What is the primary influencer of diffusion?

A

Concentration gradient

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65
Q

Which way do substances diffuse along a concentration gradient?

A

From high to low

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66
Q

What are five factors - other than concentration gradient - that affect diffusion of substances through water?

A
  1. Advective transport; 2. Temperature; 3. Molecule size; 4. Presence of other molecules; 5. Organism movement
67
Q

This is when diffusion of substances through water is affected by the movement of water or the movement of other things in the water

A

Advective transport

68
Q

How does temperature affect diffusion?

A

Increasing temperature increases diffusion

69
Q

How does molecule size affect diffusion?

A

The larger the molecule, the slower it diffuses

70
Q

How does the presence of other molecules affect diffusion?

A

Some molecules can absorb other molecules and prevent them from diffusing

71
Q

How does organism movement affect diffusion?

A

Organisms can spread material around as they move

72
Q

What is the equation for Fick’s Law?

A

J = D*(C1-C2)/(X1-X2)

73
Q

What does J stand for in the equation for Fick’s Law?

A

Diffusion rate (Diffusion flux)

74
Q

What does D stand for in the equation for Fick’s Law?

A

Diffusion coefficient

75
Q

What does C stand for in the equation for Fick’s Law?

A

Concentration

76
Q

What does X stand for in the equation for Fick’s Law?

A

Distance

77
Q

What law is expressed with this equation: J = D*(C1-C2)/(X1-X2)

A

Fick’s Law

78
Q

What does the equation for Fick’s Law determine?

A

Rate of diffusion (J)

79
Q

Diffusion rate increases with what two factors?

A

Larger difference in concentrations and shorter distances

80
Q

How is diffusion affected by fluid identity?

A

Diffusion slows with increased viscosity

81
Q

How is diffusion affected by mixing?

A

Diffusion slows with increased stratification

82
Q

How is diffusion affected by solid objects?

A

Diffusion slows as flow boundary layers are created over solid objects

83
Q

What are the two types of diffusion?

A

Molecular diffusion and transport diffusion

84
Q

This type of diffusion is caused by the thermal movement of molecules

A

Molecular diffusion

85
Q

Is molecular diffusion more influential for larger or smaller molecules?

A

Smaller molecules

86
Q

Does molecular diffusion increase with temperature?

A

Yes

87
Q

Does molecular diffusion happen quickly?

A

No

88
Q

Is molecular diffusion important for small or large organisms?

A

Small organisms

89
Q

This type of diffusion is caused by water movement

A

Transport diffusion

90
Q

Does transport diffusion dominate over molecular diffusion?

A

Yes

91
Q

Does transport diffusion happen very near to the surface of objects?

A

No

92
Q

Does transport diffusion happen quickly?

A

Yes

93
Q

Is transport diffusion important for large or small organisms?

A

Large organisms

94
Q

Does diffusion happen faster with increased turbulence?

A

Yes

95
Q

What are three ways turbulent flows are important in water systems?

A
  1. Increase transport diffusion; 2. Dominates over molecular diffusion; 3. Strong force in water columns of lakes/wetlands/groundwater streams
96
Q

What are three contributing factors to diffusion in sediment?

A
  1. Mean path length; 2. Sediment pore size; 3. Characteristics of diffusing molecule
97
Q

This notorious molecule is hydrophobic and binds to the sediment in aquatic systems

A

DDT

98
Q

These need to move across membranes into the interior of organisms

A

Gases

99
Q

Do large or small organisms have more difficulty diffusing gases?

A

Large organisms

100
Q

Why do large organisms tend to have slower metabolisms?

A

Because they have slower gaseous diffusion rates

101
Q

Why do large organisms have more difficulty in diffusing gases?

A

Their surface to volume ratio is lower

102
Q

On a small scale, this is unlikely and molecular diffusion dominates

A

Turbulent mixing

103
Q

Some small organisms have strategies to cause this to increase gas diffusion

A

Turbulence

104
Q

Light penetrates further through the water depending on this

A

Water clarity

105
Q

What are four ways sunlight can be altered before entering the water?

A
  1. Reflected by atmosphere; 2. Absorbed/scattered by particles in atmosphere; 3. Reflected by clouds; 4. Reflected by water surface/snow
106
Q

What are four things that can happen to light in the water?

A
  1. Scattering by water or suspended matter; 2. Absorption by water, dissolved materials, particulates, sediment; 3. Backscattering to the surface; 4. Attenuation with depth
107
Q

This is the logarithmic decrease of light intensity through water

A

Attenuation

108
Q

What are three materials in the water that can contribute to attenuation?

A

Dissolved compounds, higher productivity, suspended materials

109
Q

What is the equation for the Light Attenuation Coefficient?

A

n = lnL1-lnL2/Z2-Z1

110
Q

What does L stand for in the Light Attenuation Coefficient equation?

A

Light intensity at a point

111
Q

What does the Z stand for in the Light Attenuation Coefficient equation?

A

Depth at a point

112
Q

What is the equation for the percentage of light transmitted through water?

A

% transmission = 100L2/L1(Z2-Z1)

113
Q

These systems have high productivity and suspended materials

A

Eutrophic systems

114
Q

These systems have intermediate levels of productivity and suspended materials

A

Mesotrophic systems

115
Q

These systems have low levels of productivity and suspended materials

A

Oligotrophic systems

116
Q

This tool is a black and white disk of known area that is used to measure light in water

A

Secchi disk

117
Q

What are three measures of light in water?

A

Turbidity, total dissolved solids (TDS), light attenuation

118
Q

The amount of light in an aquatic system determines the depth of this

A

Productivity

119
Q

This is how much light is lost and how rapidly it is lost with increased depth in the water

A

Extinction coefficient

120
Q

These systems have a small extinction coefficient with large depth

A

Oligotrophic systems

121
Q

These systems have a large extinction coefficient with shallow depth

A

Eutrophic systems

122
Q

The attenuation of light is different for each of these

A

Light wavelengths

123
Q

Does a longer wavelength of light have less energy?

A

Yes

124
Q

Would red or blue light disappear faster with depth of water?

A

Red

125
Q

Why does water have a relatively high boiling point?

A

Hydrogen bonds need a lot of energy to be broken

126
Q

What are six factors that affect water temperature?

A
  1. Sunlight; 2. Transfer from land; 3. Water depth/velocity; 4. Amount of shade; 5. Dissolved substances in water; 6. Thermal pollution
127
Q

What is by far the most important facto in affecting water temperature?

A

Sunlight

128
Q

What is the equation for Fick’s Law regarding heat “diffusion flux”?

A

Jq = K * (T1 - T2)/(X1 - X2)

129
Q

What does Jq stand for in the Fick’s law equation for heat diffusion flux?

A

Heat flux

130
Q

What does K stand for in the Fick’s law equation for heat diffusion flux?

A

Coefficient of thermal conductivity

131
Q

What does T stand for in the Fick’s law equation for heat diffusion flux?

A

Temperature

132
Q

What does X stand for in the Fick’s law equation for heat diffusion flux?

A

Distance

133
Q

This is greatest with large temperature gradients over small distances

A

Heat diffusion

134
Q

What are three ways heat is gained by a body of water?

A
  1. Solar radiation; 2. Diffusion from atmosphere or ground; 3. Warm water flowing into system
135
Q

What are six ways heat is lost from a body of water?

A
  1. Reflection of water surface; 2. Back radiation; 3. Evaporation; 4. Diffusion to cooler ground; 5. Cold water flowing into system; 6. Evaporation, condensation or shading from plants
136
Q

What is the equation for heat budgets?

A

S = Rn - E - H - Q

137
Q

What does S stand for in the equation for heat budgets?

A

Storage rate of heat in water

138
Q

What does Rn stand for in the equation for heat budgets?

A

Net radiation (sunlight)

139
Q

What does E stand for in the equation for heat budgets?

A

Evaporation

140
Q

What does H stand for in the equation for heat budgets?

A

Heat transfer from conduction

141
Q

What does Q stand for in the equation for heat budgets?

A

Heat transfer from advection (movement in or out of water)

142
Q

What is calculated by the equation S = Rn - E - H - Q?

A

Heat budget of a water body

143
Q

This is known as the “abiotic master factor”

A

Temperature

144
Q

What are four things that increase when water temperature increases?

A
  1. Diffusion; 2. Rate of chemical reactions; 3. Toxicity of specific metals; 4. Water expansion
145
Q

What are three things that decrease when water temperature increases?

A
  1. Dissolved gases; 2. Photosynthesis rates; 3. Water contraction
146
Q

This is the tendency of lakes to form separate and distinct thermal/density layers at specific times of the year

A

Stratification

147
Q

What are the three levels of lake stratification?

A

Epilimnion, metalimnion, hypolimnion

148
Q

This is the shallow surface layer of a lake

A

Epilimnion

149
Q

This is the transition layer of a lake

A

Metalimnion

150
Q

This is the deepest lower layer of a lake

A

Hypolimnion

151
Q

What is the warmest layer of a lake?

A

Epilimnion

152
Q

In what layer of a lake is the thermocline?

A

Metalimnion

153
Q

This is the point of greatest temperature difference in a lake

A

Thermocline

154
Q

What is the coldest layer of a lake?

A

Hypolimnion

155
Q

What is the least dense layer of a lake?

A

Epilimnion

156
Q

What is the densest layer of a lake?

A

Hypolimnion

157
Q

During what seasons do temperate lakes turnover and mix?

A

Fall and spring

158
Q

During what seasons do temperate lakes tend to stratify?

A

Winter and summer

159
Q

What are three ways that humans can affect temperature?

A

Impervious surfaces, dams, and thermal pollution

160
Q

These are hard surfaces that absorb and store heat

A

Impervious surfaces

161
Q

Impervious surfaces transmit heat to local stream systems during this process

A

Runoff from rain

162
Q

These change the natural seasonal patterns of temperatures through releases

A

Dams

163
Q

This happens when municipal or industrial effluents discharge into streams at higher temperatures

A

Thermal pollution

Limnology (12 decks)

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