Biology 2010 Student Edition

Published by Prentice Hall
ISBN 10: 9780133669510
ISBN 13: 978-0-13366-951-0

Chapter 2, The Chemistry of Life - Standardized Text Prep - Page 59: 10

Answer

1. Water is polar. 2. Water is an excellent solvent. 3. Water has high heat capacity. 4. Water has high heat of vaporization. 5. Water has cohesive and adhesive properties. 6. Water is less dense as a solid than as a liquid.

Work Step by Step

1.Water is a polar substance. Water molecules have a polar structure, with partial positive charges on hydrogens and partial negative charges on oxygen, as well as a bent overall shape. This is because oxygen is more electronegative than hydrogen, which means it attracts electrons better. 2. Water is a fantastic solvent. Water has the uncanny ability to dissolve a wide range of polar and ionic compounds. This is crucial to all living things because water brings many valuable nutrients with it as it moves through the water cycle! 3. Water can hold a lot of heat. Because it takes a lot of energy to change the temperature of a small amount of water by a degree, water aids with environmental temperature regulation. 4. Water vaporises at a high temperature. Humans (and other animals that sweat) cool themselves by vaporising water at a high temperature. When the heat of vaporisation is attained, water is transformed from its liquid state to steam. Because sweat is mainly water, it absorbs excess body heat and releases it into the atmosphere when it evaporates. Evaporative cooling is the term for this process. 5. Water has the capabilities of being both cohesive and sticky. Because of their ability to establish hydrogen bonds with one another, water molecules exhibit high cohesive forces. Surface tension, or the tendency of a liquid's surface to resist rupture while under tension or stress, is caused by cohesive forces. 6. Water also possesses adhesive characteristics, allowing it to adhere to objects other than itself.In many forms of life, these cohesive and adhesive qualities are critical for fluid transfer. They enable nutrients to be delivered to the summit of a tree against gravity, for example. As a solid, water is less dense than it is as a liquid. When water freezes, the molecules form a crystalline structure that separates them more than liquid water does. Ice has a lower density than liquid water, which explains why it floats. This feature is critical because it prevents ponds, lakes, and oceans from freezing solid, allowing life to thrive beneath the ice.
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