Properties of water

High heat capacity-

The heat capacity of water is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1kg of
water by 1 degree celsius.

Why does water have a high heat capacity-

As heat energy is added to water, large amounts of energy is used to break hydrogen bonds
between water molecules. As a result less heat energy is available to raise the temperature.
Water therefore requires a lot of heating to increase its temperature. There it has a high
specific heat capacity. The specific heat capacity of water is 4.2J g-1 C-1. This means that it
requires 4.2 J of energy to heat 1kg of water by 1 degree celsius.

Large increase is heat energy results in small rise in temperature

Usage of high heat capacity

1. Due to the high heat capacity of water, large bodies of water such as seas and lakes
have a steady low temperature as it takes alot of heat energy inorder to change the
temperature. This feature makes these bodies of water a suitable environment for
aquatic animals to live in

2. Living organisms such as humans and plants are composed of large amounts of
water, therefore biochemical processes operate over a smaller temperature range
proceeding at more constant rates and therefore are less likely to be inhibited by
extremes of temperature.

*what happens if temperatures were not low/constant in organisms- Changes in temperature

inside cells can result in the disruption of metabolic reactions since most require enzymes.
Enzymes require a stable temperature to function effectively.

3. Water also provides a constant external environment for many cells and organisms.
High heat of vaporisation

Heat of vaporisation of water is the amount of heat energy required to convert liquid water
into gaseous water i.e to overcome the attractive forces (hydrogen bonds) between its water
molecule so it can escape as a gas.

Why does water have a high heat of vaporisation?

A relatively large amount of energy is needed to vaporise water due to the presence of
hydrogen bonding. As a result, water has an unusual high boiling point for such a small
molecule.

The energy transferred to water molecules to allow them to vaporise results in a loss of
energy from their surroundings, therefore has a cooling effect.

Usage of High heat of vaporisation

1. Our bodies makes good use of this propety when the liquid sweat lies on the surface
of the skin, the water in the swear absorbs heat energy from the body as it
evaporates. Therefore making our bodies cool.

2. It is also beneficial in the transpiration process in plants, where alot of thermal energy
is needed to evaporate small quantities of water. Therefore assist in the cooling of
plant leaves in hot climates as water evaporates from the surface of the mesophyll
cells.

3. High heat of vaporisation means a large amount of heat can be lost with minimal loss
of water from the body.
High heat of fusion

Latent heat of fusion is a measure of the heat energy required to melt a solid (ice)

Why does water have a high heat of fusion?