💧A1.1: Water Study Guide 💧

What are the observable properties of water?

• Cohesion

• Adhesion

• Solvent Ability

• Thermal Stability

• Fluidity

Cohesion

• Water droplets stick to each other

• Helps move water up stems (xylems)

Adhesion

• Water sticks to other polar materials

  • + ends of water attracts - ends of surface

    • vice versa

• Water can move through small spaces, such as cell walls, soil, etc

Solvent Ability

• Water dissolves other substances

• Water is universal solvent

• Key for metabolism because it dissolves nutrients, gases, waste

Thermal Stability

• Water slowly heats up, and retains it

• Helps stabilize environments & cells, becoming crucial for enzymes

Fluidity

• Water has ez flow

• Helps to move substances around in things like cells and blood

How does water support life?

• Makes reactions easier

• Certain properties make water an ideal medium for cells

  • Fluidity, solvent ability, and thermal stability (for both)

Metabolic processes

reactions inside cells

What is the role of water in biochemical processes?

• Supports the creation of reactions

  • Biochemical processes require reactions

T/F: Water can dissolve other polar substances because it is polar itself.

True

Capillary Action

• water moving upwards through tiny spaces bc of adhesive properties

• stronger then gravity

T/F: Tighter / smaller pores mean slower movement

False;

• Tighter / smaller pores = better movement because

  • more particles = more surface area = more attraction / adhesion = better movement

What increases surface area?

The more particles there are, the more surface area there will be because there is more ground to cover/

Capillary action example of cohesion

the water on top pulls the water underneath upwards

Capillary action example of adhesion

the water sticks to the “walls” of the xylem to move the water upwards

Apoplastic pathway

water moving in between the gaps of plant cells (outside cell walls)

Symplastic pathway

Water moves between cells through gaps in cell walls

What are the four properties of water?

• Buoyancy

• Viscosity

• Thermal conductivity

• Specific Heat capacity

Buoyancy

• Upward force liquid has on submerged liquids

  • how much the water is carrying your weight

• Allows aquatic animals to use their energy someplace else instead of on limbs

Viscosity

• Fluid’s resistance to movement / flow

• Water is more viscous than air

Thermal Conductivity

• Ability to transfer heat to other things

• DIFFERENT THAN THERMAL STABILITY!

Specific Heat Capacity

• amount of energy it takes to increase the temperature of a substance

• High specific heat = a lot of energy to heat up

• Water’s heat capacity is very high