Chapter 4 Section 4

Unique Properties of
Water
Mrs. Kerstetter
Biology
 Structure of Water
 All living things are dependent on water
 Cells are surrounded by fluid that is mostly water
 Cells are 70-95% water
 Formula for water?

H O
2
 H atoms are joined to O atoms by a single
covalent bond
 Key to water’s unusual
properties:
1. Electrons of each covalent bond are not
shared equally between the H & O atoms
2. Oxygen has a stronger attraction
3. The unequal sharing causes the Oxygen to
have a slightly negative (-) charge, while the
hydrogen ends have a slightly positive (+)
charge
 Polarity
 A molecule in which opposite ends have
opposite electrical charges is called a POLAR
molecule

 Water is a polar molecule

 How are water molecules attracted
to each other?
 Slightly negative O attracts the slightly
positive hydrogen of adjacent molecules,
causing molecules to become arranged using
hydrogen bonds
 Water’s Unique Properties
1. Cohesion and Adhesion
2. Temperature Moderation
3. Low Density of Ice
4. Ability to Dissolve Other Substances
 Cohesion and Adhesion
 Cohesion
 tendancy of molecules of the same kind to stick to one
another
 Much stronger for water than other liquids

 Adhesion
 Attraction between unlike molecules

Important to keep large groups of molecules organized in

living world
 Temperature Moderation
 Thermal energy
 Total amt of E associated with the random
movement of atoms and molecules in a sample of
matter
 Temperature
 Measure of the average E of random motion of
particles in a substance
 Is temperature transferred from warmer to cooler
or cooler to warmer?
 Warmer to cooler
 Temperature Moderation
 Temperature rises bc the molecules move
faster
 In water, some of the E goes to break bonds, so
doesn’t heat as fast

 When you cool a substance the molecules slow and

temp drops BUT
 In water, it forms H bonds, so doesn’t cool as much as a
metal
 Examples of Temp Moderation of
Water
 Oceans and lakes moderate the temperature of
nearby land masses
 El Nino

 Evaporation and sweat

 Low Density of Ice
 Formula for ice?
 Water is more dense than ice
 Why?
 Hydrogen bonds

 Longer lived bc slower moving

than liquid form

 Why is this important to living things?

Ability to Dissolve Other Substances
 Solution
 Uniform mixture of 2 or more substances
 Salt water
 Solute
 Substance that is dissolved and present in a lesser amount
 salt
 Solvent
 Substance that dissolves the other substance and is present in a greater
amount
 water
 Aqueous solution
 When chemical dissolved in water
 Main Solvent
 Water is the main solvent in all cells and in
plant sap
 Polar molecules are easily broken down by
water