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REVIEW

Objectives:
1. Identify water as a biological
inorganic molecule.
2. Identify the properties of water.
3. Explain the role of water in the
chemistry of life.
Benedictine Hallmark:
Stewardship

Values Integration:
Recognize and appreciate
the importance of water.
INORGANIC
MOLECULE
Water
Inorganic Molecules
• A molecule not consisting of carbon atoms.
• Inorganic molecules are compounds that don’t
contain C and H together.
• Inorganic compounds that are important for living
organisms include WATER, oxygen, carbon dioxide,
nitrogen and minerals.
WATER
• Water is the most abundant inorganic compound in
our bodies.
• Water is the predominant solvent in living
organisms, it has a high heat capacity and it is
highly cohesive.
• It can regulate temperature.
• It can participate in life’s chemical reaction.
• This is all due to its structure.
Structure of water
• Each water molecule consists of a combination of a
single oxygen atom with two hydrogen atoms. Each
hydrogen atom is linked to the oxygen atom by a
strong covalent bond.
• Although water has an overall neutral charge, the
oxygen at the end of a covalent bond is slightly
negative and the hydrogen atoms are slightly
positive areas
Polar Molecule
Cohesiveness
• Individual molecules of water are highly attracted
to each other such that the negative oxygen of one
molecule of water is attracted to the positive
hydrogen of another water molecule.
• These bonds that hold them together are called
hydrogen bonds which are weaker than covalent
bonds.
• Cohesion refers to the
attraction of molecules
same kind, and water
molecules have strong
cohesive forces.
• Cohesive forces are
responsible for surface
tension.
• Surface tension - water
molecules on the outside
of the system align and are
held together by hydrogen
bonding to create an effect
similar to a net made of
atoms.
• Adhesion is the attraction
of molecules of one kind
for molecules to a different
kind, and it can be quite
strong for water, especially
with other molecules
bearing positive or
negative charges.
Remember:
•Surface tension is related to the
cohesive properties of water.
•Capillary action however, is
related to the adhesive properties
of water.
Capillary action
• The water 'climbs' up the straw.
• Ex. What is happening is that the water
molecules are attracted to the straw
molecules. When one water molecule
moves closer to a the straw molecules the
other water molecules (which are
cohesively attracted to that water molecule)
also move up into the straw.
Capillary action
• Plants take advantage of capillary action to
pull water from the soil into themselves.
From the roots water is drawn through the
plant by another force, transpiration.
As a solvent
• The polarity of water is responsible for effectively
dissolving other polar molecules, such as sugars
and ionic compounds such as salt.
• Ionic compounds dissolve in water to form ions.
• This is important to remember because for most
biological reactions to occur, the reactants must be
dissolved in water.
• Because water is able to dissolve so many common
substances, it is known as the universal solvent.
As a solvent
• Water is the predominant solvent in living
organisms.
• Its versatility as a solvent is due to the cohesive
nature of the molecule.
• Substances that dissolve readily in water are called
hydrophilic or polar.
• Substances that tend to be insoluble in water are
called hydrophobic or non-polar.
Density
• Most liquids contract (get smaller) when they get
colder. Water is different. Water contracts until it
reaches 4 C then it expands until it is solid.
• Solid water is less dense that liquid water because
of this.
• Water facts: If water worked like other liquids, then
there would be no such thing as an ice berg, the ice
in your soft drink would sink to the bottom of the
glass, and ponds would freeze from the bottom up!
Water resists changes in temperature.
• Hydrogen bonding is the cause, like for so many of water's
properties, for it's high specific heat capacity.
• Heat is released when hydrogen bonds form and heat must
be absorbed in order to break hydrogen bonds.
• A calorie of heat causes a rather tiny change in the
temperature because most of the heat energy is used to
disrupt hydrogen bonds before the molecules can begin
moving faster. As the temperature of water drops, many
additional hydrogen bonds form at the same time. This
releases a substantial amount of energy in the form of heat.
Summary of properties
Properties Chemical Reason Effect
Resists changes in Hydrogen bonding Helps keep body
temperature temperature
constant
Universal solvent Polarity Facilitate chemical
reactions
Is cohesive and Hydrogen bonding: Serves as a transport
adhesive polarity medium.
Capillary effect
Has a high surface Hydrogen bonding Difficult to break
tension surface tension
Less dense as ice than Hydrogen bonding Ice floats on water
as liquid water

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