water Flashcards
(8 cards)
why is water polar
- contains one oxygen and two hydrogen
-oxygen has slight negative charge - hydrogen has slight positive charge
how does hydrogen bonds form between water molecules
- different poles attract
- positive pole of one water molecule attracted to the negative pole of another molecule
-the attractive force between these poles is hydrogen bond
why is the specific heat capacity of water important for life
-because water molecules have h-bonding between them it takes more energy to separate them
-boiling point of water is high
- means water acts as a buffer for sudden changes in temperature
-creates a stable environment for aquatic life
-organisms are mostly water so buffers changes in temp
why is the latent heat of vaporisation of water important for life
-H-bonding means lots of energy needed to evaporate 1 gram of water
-evaporation of water such as sweat is an effective cooling mechanism because heat energy is used to evaporate water
why is cohesion of water molecules important for life
-supports large columns of water
-supports transpiration stream
why is the surface tension of water important for life
supports small organisms
why is water as a metabolite important for life
-used in hydrolysis reactions
- chemical reactions take place in an aqueous medium
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why is water as a solvent important for life
dissolves:
-gases like O2 and CO
- wastes like urea
-inorganic ions
-enzymes who’s reactions take place in solution
