Properties of Water and Acids/Bases Vocabulary

Flashcards based on lecture notes covering the properties of water, polarity, and the difference between acids and bases.

High Heat Capacity

A property of water meaning it can absorb a lot of heat without changing temperature quickly, which helps keep body temperature and Earth's temperature stable.

Heat of Vaporization

A property of water meaning it needs a lot of heat to change from liquid to gas, which allows sweating to cool the body when water evaporates.

Universal Solvent

A property of water meaning it can dissolve many different substances, which helps carry nutrients and chemicals through living things.

Cohesion

A property where water molecules stick to other surfaces, which helps water move through plants and creates surface tension.

Adhesion

A property where water molecules stick to other surfaces, which helps water move up through plant stems.

Acid

A substance that has a pH below $7$.

Base

A substance that has a pH above $7$.

Polarity

A property of a molecule meaning it has a slightly positive side and a slightly negative side.

Water Molecule ($H_2O$)

A polar molecule composed of hydrogen and oxygen.