Halo- Water Chemistry and pH Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering water chemistry, physical properties of water, acids, bases, pH, and homeostasis based on BIO 1.1 lecture notes.

Polar Molecule

A molecule with opposite charges on opposite ends, functioning like a magnet where the negative end of one molecule attracts the positive end of another.

Hydrogen Bond

A weak connection formed between the negative oxygen ($\text{O}$) end of one $H_2O$ molecule and the positive hydrogen ($\text{H}$) end of another $H_2O$ molecule.

Solution

A mixture formed when two substances are evenly mixed.

Solvent

A liquid that dissolves another substance.

Solute

A substance that mixes in and dissolves in a solvent.

Nonpolar Substances

Substances that do not dissolve well in water, such as the materials that make up cell membranes to help cells keep water in.

Adhesion

The attraction between different charged substances, such as water droplets sticking to a window or to the sides of a tube.

Cohesion

The attraction between the same type of molecule, such as water molecules sticking to each other.

Surface Tension

A result of cohesion where the molecules on the top edge of water are drawn inward, causing drops of water to form beads on a smooth surface.

Capillary Action

The movement of water inside thin tubes caused by cohesion and adhesion, allowing plants to move water from roots to leaves and blood to move through small capillaries.

Density of Water

The property where water is less dense as a solid than as a liquid because water molecules form a crystalline structure due to hydrogen bonds, allowing ice to float.

High Heat Capacity

The ability of water to absorb or release large amounts of heat energy with little change in temperature, helping organisms regulate internal body temperatures and survive in water habitats.

Hydrogen Ion ($H^+$)

A positively charged ion formed when a bond in a water molecule breaks.

Hydroxide Ion ($OH^-$)

A negatively charged ion formed when a bond in a water molecule breaks.

Acid

A substance added to water that causes hydrogen ions ($H^+$) to form, registering between $0$ and $6$ on the pH scale.

Base

A substance added to water that causes hydroxide ions ($OH^-$) to form, registering between $8$ and $14$ on the pH scale (also called alkaline).

pH Scale

A $0$ to $14$ scale used to measure the strengths of acids and bases, where $7$ is neutral, $0$ to $6$ is acidic, and $8$ to $14$ is basic or alkaline.

Homeostasis

A self-regulating process that allows organisms to maintain stable internal environment conditions.

Buffers

Substances used by the body to prevent big changes in pH and maintain a stable environment by combining opposites to cancel out: $\text{Acid} + \text{Base} \rightarrow \text{Neutral}$.

Human Body Water Percentages

The proportions of water in the body ($70\%$ overall), including the Brain ($75\%$), Blood ($83\%$), Heart ($79\%$), Bones ($22\%$), Muscles ($75\%$), Liver ($86\%$), and Kidneys ($83\%$).