Water Flashcards
(7 cards)
Water is polar, what does that mean?
There is an uneven distribution of charge throughout the molecule
Why are water molecules polar?
The oxygen atoms attracts electrons a bit more strongly than the hydrogen atoms, giving a slight negative charge near the oxygen and a slightly positive charge near the hydrogens
What does water having a high heat specific capacity mean?
It means a lot of energy is needed to heat up the water, so it minimises temperature fluctuations- acts as a buffer
What does water having a relatively large latent heat of vaporisation mean?
It provides a cooling effect with little water loss
Why does water have strong cohesion?
-enables effective transport of water in tube-like cells- supports columns of water
-surface tensions at water-air boundary is high
Why is the waters density good?
Ice is less dense than water, meaning it floats on top and creates an insulating layer
-increases chance of survival
Why is water being incompressible good?
It provided good support
