Unit 3: The Water Molecule to the Hydrologic Cycle

The hydrogen bonds of water molecules account for:

A high heat capacity, high surface tension, and high boiling point.

The property of water that allows certain insects to walk on the surface

Surface tension

What kind of bond forms between hydrogen and oxygen in a water molecule?

Polar covalent bond

What forms as a result of the polarization of water?

Hydrogen bonds

What allows ice to float?

Density of ice is lower than the density of liquid water

What's the full chemical name of water?

Dihydrogen monoxide

What is specific heat?

The ability of liquid water to absorb heat and change only very little in temperature

The main carrier of heat between the warm tropics and the cold polar regions is

the atmosphere

Seawater freezes at a (higher, lower, or at the same temperature) as fresh water?

lower temperature

What is latent heat?

Energy released or absorbed during a change of an objects physical state without changing its temperature

What's the freezing point and boiling point of water in degrees Celsius?

0°C (freezing) and 100°C (boiling)

What is the point called when water can exist in all 3 phases?

Triple Point

How does the transmission of sound by water compare to sound in air?

It is more efficient than transmission by air.

The depth to which light can penetrate the ocean depends on:

1. The amount of suspended material in the water.

2. The angle of the sun above the horizon.

3. The smoothness or roughness of the sea surface.

The wavelengths of light that penetrate deepest into the ocean are:

Green and blue

The upper sunlit layer of the ocean is called __________ and extends to a depth of about ____________.

The photic zone ... 100 meters

What are the two largest reservoirs of water on Earth?

The ocean and glaciers/land ice

Is the hydrologic cycle an open or closed system?

A closed system

True or false: Water vapor is the most abundant green house gas and it amplifies warming caused by other greenhouse gases.

True

What is a flux?

The pathway water takes from one reservoir to another

What are the two largest fluxes in the water cycle?

Water transferring from the atmosphere to the ocean and from the ocean to the atmosphere

What is the term for the average length of time that a substance resides in a reservoir?

Residence time

What reservoirs have the longest residence time?

Deep groundwater and the deep ocean