Biology: Properties of Water

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Questions and Answers

What role does water play in maintaining a stable internal temperature for organisms?

Water's high specific heat capacity allows it to absorb and release heat without significant temperature changes, stabilizing internal temperatures.

Explain how the polarity of water contributes to its function as a solvent.

The polarity of water allows it to interact with and dissolve other polar substances, facilitating chemical reactions in biological systems.

Describe the significance of water's high latent heat of vaporization for living organisms.

Water's high latent heat of vaporization helps organisms regulate temperature through processes like sweating and transpiration, preventing overheating.

What makes water an ideal habitat for many organisms?

Water provides a stable environment with dissolved nutrients and gases, allowing diverse life forms to thrive within it. Signup and view all the answers

How does the structure of water molecules contribute to the unique properties of water?

The unequal sharing of electrons in water's polar molecules leads to hydrogen bonding, which results in high specific heat, cohesion, and surface tension. Signup and view all the answers

How does hydrogen bonding influence water's high specific heat capacity?

Hydrogen bonding allows water to absorb significant heat energy with minimal temperature change as energy is used to break bonds. Signup and view all the answers

Explain the relationship between hydrogen bonding and the high latent heat of evaporation in water.

A large amount of energy is required to break the hydrogen bonds between water molecules, allowing them to escape as gas during evaporation. Signup and view all the answers

What mechanism explains the cohesive properties of water and its resultant surface tension?

The strong hydrogen bonding among water molecules leads to significant cohesion, creating surface tension that allows objects to float on water. Signup and view all the answers

Why is the density of ice lower than that of liquid water, and how is this related to hydrogen bonding?

Ice's lower density results from hydrogen bonds forming a rigid, open structure that occupies more space than liquid water's denser arrangement. Signup and view all the answers

Describe one biological or environmental process influenced by water's high specific heat capacity.

The high specific heat capacity of water helps regulate Earth's climate by absorbing and storing heat, moderating temperature fluctuations. Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

High specific heat capacity of water

Water absorbs a lot of heat with little temperature change.

High latent heat of evaporation

Lots of energy needed to change liquid water to gas.