TOPIC 1.

1 WATER

WHY IS WATER AN IMPORTANT SUBSTANCE?

1A
 TOPIC 1.1 WATER

[I] IT HAS A HIGH SPECIFIC HEAT CAPACITY

[II] IT HAS A HIGH LATENT HEAT OF VAPORISATION

[III] A HIGH DENSITY

[IV] IT IS COHESIVE

[V] IT IS A GOOD SOLVENT

[VI] ITS REACTIVITY

[VII] ITS TRANSPARENCY

1B
TOPIC 1.1 WATER

WHAT IS A POLAR MOLECULE?

2A
TOPIC 1.1 WATER

A MOLECULE THAT HAS AN UNEVEN

DISTRIBUTION OF CHARGES.[DIPOLE]

2B
TOPIC 1.1 WATER

WHAT IS THE STRUCTURE OF WATER?

3A
 TOPIC 1.1 WATER
THE SLIGHTLY NEGATIVE REGION OF ONE
WATER MOLECULE IS ATTRACTED TO THE
SLIGHTLY POSITIVE REGION OF ANOTHER
WATER MOLECULE.
THIS WEAK ELECTROSTATIC ATTRACTION IS
CALLED HYDROGEN BONDING.
WATER HAS A SIMPLE
STRUCTURE.
A WATER MOLECULE IS MADE UP OF 1 OXYGEN ATOM
JOINED TO 2 HYDROGEN ATOMS BY A SHARED PAIR
OF ELECTRONS.
THE SHARED NEGATIVE HYDROGEN ELECTRONS ARE
DRAWN OR PULLED TOWARDS THE OXYGEN ATOM,
THIS LEAVES THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HYDROGEN
ATOM WITH A SLIGHT POSITIVE CHARGE.
THE ELECTRONS ON THE OXYGEN THAT ARE
UNSHARED GIVE THE OXYGEN A SLIGHT NEGATIVE
CHARGE ON ONE SIDE.
THEREFORE, WATER IS A DIPOLAR MOLECULE. THIS IS
BECAUSE IT HAS A CHARGE THAT IS SLIGHTLY
NEGATIVE ONE SIDE AND A CHARGE THAT IS
SLIGHTLY POSITIVE ON THE OTHER. 3B
TOPIC 1.1 WATER

DEFINE HYDROGEN BONDING

4A
 TOPIC 1.1 WATER

HYDROGEN BONDS ARE WEAK ELECTROSTATIC

INTERMOLECULAR BONDS FORMED BETWEEN POLAR
MOLECULES CONTAINING AT LEAST ONE HYDROGEN
ATOM.

4B
 TOPIC 1.1 WATER

EXPLAIN HYDROGEN BONDING IN WATER.

5A
 TOPIC 1.1 WATER

THERE ARE WEAK FORCES OF ATTRACTION BETWEEN WEAK

POSITIVE & NEGATIVE CHARGES.

THE NEGATIVE ENDS OF WATER MOLECULES ATTRACT THE

POSITIVE ENDS OF OTHER WATER MOLECULES.

THIS ATTRACTION CAUSES COHESION IN THE WATER

MOLECULES.

THIS PROCESS IS CALLED HYDROGEN BONDING.

5B
 TOPIC 1.1 WATER

WHAT ARE THE BIOLOGICAL PROPERTIES

OF WATER?

6A
TOPIC 1.1 WATER

[I] ITS POLAR NATURE

[II] THE COHESIVENESS CAUSED BY

HYDROGEN BONDING.

6B
TOPIC 1.1 WATER

EXPLAIN THE HIGH SPECIFIC HEAT

CAPACITY IN WATER

7A
 TOPIC 1.1 WATER

WATER REQUIRES A LARGE AMOUNT OF HEAT ENERGY TO RAISE

THE TEMPERATURE OF WATER [BECAUSE SOME OF THE ENERGY
IS USED TO BREAK H- BONDS].

THIS MEANS THE WATER TEMPERATURE REMAINS FAIRLY STABLE

WHEN THE AIR TEMPERATURE CHANGES RAPIDLY.

THIS STABILITY IS ESSENTIAL FOR ENZYMES TO REMAIN

FUNCTIONING.

7B
TOPIC 1.1 WATER

EXPLAIN HIGH LATENT HEAT OF

VAPORISATION

8A
 TOPIC 1.1 WATER

A LOT OF HEAT ENERGY IS NEEDED TO CHANGE LIQUID WATER

INTO VAPOUR [ENERGY IS NEEDED TO BREAK H-BONDS].

SO A LOT OF HEAT ENERGY IS ABSORBED BY WATER AS IT

EVAPORATES FROM BODY SURFACES.

THIS MAKES SWEATING, PANTING AND TRANSPIRATION

EFFECTIVE METHODS OF COOLING.

8B
 TOPIC 1.1 WATER

EXPLAIN WHY WATER’S HIGH DENSITY IS

IMPORTANT

9A
 TOPIC 1.1 WATER

AT 4ºC WATER ACHIEVES ITS MAXIMUM DENSITY AND EXPANDS UPON FREEZING,
THIS IS BECAUSE THE HYDROGEN BONDS BETWEEN THE WATER MOLECULES
BECOME STRONGER.

AS THE WATER FREEZES ITS MOLECULES LOSE KINETIC ENERGY. THIS MEANS
MORE STABLE HYDROGEN BONDS CAN BE FORMED. AS THE ENERGY IS LOST, THE
HYDROGEN BONDS FORM A LATTICE OF ICE CRYSTALS.

ALL THIS MEANS THE ICE FLOATS ON WATER. THEN THE LAKES FREEZE AT THE
TOP FIRST, PROTECTING AQUATIC ORGANISMS.

BECAUSE THE MOLECULES IN WATER CLING TOGETHER IT IS A DENSE LIQUID.

THIS MEANS THE WATER IS ABLE TO SUPPORT ORGANISMS BY EXERTING

UPTHRUST. E.G A WHALE WOULD BE UNABLE TO SUPPORT ITS OWN BODY
WEIGHT IN AIR.

9B
TOPIC 1.1 WATER

EXPLAIN WHY WATER’S COHESION IS

IMPORTANT

10A
 TOPIC 1.1 WATER

[I] BECAUSE WATER MOLECULES CLING TOGETHER, WATER RISES AS A

CONTINUOUS COLUMN UP THE VASCULAR TISSUE OF PLANTS WHEN PULLED
FROM ABOVE BY TRANSPIRATION.

[II] WATER MOLECULES ON THE SURFACE ARE ATTRACTED TO THOSE BELOW IT.
THIS GIVES THE SURFACES OF WATER BODIES SUCH AS PONDS AND LAKES A
‘SKIN LIKE’ SURFACE TENSION.
THIS MEANS THAT CREATURES SUCH AS POND SKATERS CAN SUPPORT
THEMSELVES ON THE SURFACE OF PONDS WITHOUT SINKING INTO THEM.

10B
TOPIC 1.1 WATER

EXPLAIN WHY WATER IS A GOOD

SOLVENT

11A
 TOPIC 1.1 WATER

WATER IS A GOOD SOLVENT BECAUSE IT IS POLAR. WHEN AN

IONIC COMPOUND IS ADDED TO THE WATER IT DISSOLVES.

THIS IS BECAUSE THE POSITIVE REGION OF WATER ATTRACTS

THE ANIONS IN THE SUBSTANCE AND THE NEGATIVE REGION OF
WATER ATTRACTS THE CATIONS.

THIS CAUSES THE IONS IN THE IONIC COMPOUND TO

DISASSOCIATE, THEREFORE, DISSOLVING THEM.

11B
TOPIC 1.1 WATER

EXPLAIN WHY WATER’S REACTIVITY IS

IMPORTANT

12A
 TOPIC 1.1 WATER

WATER CAN TAKE PART IN CHEMICAL REACTIONS IN THE METABOLISM OF THE

BODY.

IT IS AN ESSENTIAL REACTANT IN HYDROLYSIS REACTIONS AND IN

12B
 TOPIC 1.1 WATER

EXPLAIN WHY WATER’S TRANSPARENCY

IS IMPORTANT

13A
 TOPIC 1.1 WATER

THIS MEANS LIGHT CAN PENETRATE THROUGH WATER.

AQUATIC PLANTS NEED LIGHT TO PHOTOSYNTHESISE.

THEREFORE, BECAUSE WATER PENETRATES LIGHT IT ENABLES THE

PHOTOSYNTHESIS OF AQUATIC PLANTS.

HENCE, SUPPORTS AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS, BECAUSE THE BYPRODUCT OF

PHOTOSYNTHESIS IS OXYGEN WHICH MEANS THE PLANTS OXYGENATE WATER.

13B
TOPIC 1.1 WATER

WHY IS WATER A GOOD TRANSPORT

AGENT?

14A
TOPIC 1.1 WATER

WATER TRANSPORTS SUBSTANCES. SUBSTANCES ARE MORE EASILY

TRANSPORTED WHEN DISSOLVED IN SOLVENT.

WATERS DIPOLE NATURE MAKES IT VERY COHESIVE.

THIS HELPS WATER FLOW AND, THEREFORE, MAKES IT A GOOD AGENT OF

TRANSPORT.

14B