Properties of Water Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering the chemical and physical properties of water, including its roles in biological transport and ecological adaptations.

Metabolic reactions

Processes that take place in the cells, occurring mostly with molecules dissolved in solution at standard temperatures.

Covalent bond

The bond within a single water molecule formed by the unequal sharing of electrons between oxygen and hydrogen atoms.

Partial charges

The result of unequal electron sharing in water where Oxygen is partially negative and Hydrogen ends are partially positive.

Hydrogen bond

An attraction between the partially negative end of one water molecule and the partially positive end of a different molecule, denoted by a dashed or dotted line.

Cohesion

The attraction between two molecules of the same type, such as water molecules sticking together due to hydrogen bonding.

Transpiration

The process in plants where water evaporates from the stomata and pulls other water molecules up through the xylem via cohesion.

Xylem

A tube in plants through which water and dissolved minerals travel upward.

Stomata

Small openings in plant leaves that allowed for water evaporation during transpiration.

Adhesion

The attraction between water molecules and a solid surface, such as the walls of the xylem or a graduated cylinder.

Capillary action

A phenomenon resulting from adhesion that pulls water up a tube, also responsible for the formation of a meniscus.

Meniscus

The u-shaped curve formed by water in a tube due to capillary action and adhesion.

Solute

The specific substance that is being dissolved in a solution.

Solvent

A liquid, such as water, that acts as the medium for dissolving other substances.

Solution

The resulting homogeneous mixture of a solute and a solvent.

Hydrophilic

Meaning "water loving"; refers to polar molecules like glucose or ions that are soluble in water.

Hydrophobic

Meaning "water hating"; refers to nonpolar substances like lipids or oxygen that have low solubility in water.

Phloem

A plant tube that carries sucrose or other carbohydrates dissolved in solution.

Blood plasma

The liquid component of blood, primarily made of water, that transports hydrophilic solutes like amino acids and glucose.

Buoyancy

The upward force exerted on an object by water, which can allow less dense objects to float.

Swim bladder

An internal organ in fish that can be filled with air to decrease density and increase buoyancy, or deflated to sink.

Viscosity

A liquid's resistance to flow; water's viscosity increases as more solutes are dissolved into it.

Thermal conductivity

The property of water that allows heat to transfer through it easily, making it a good conductor of heat.

High specific heat capacity

Water's ability to absorb a large amount of heat energy without undergoing a drastic change in temperature.

Moderating effect

The ability of water to keep its temperature within a relatively narrow range despite variations in air temperature.

Blubber

An adaptation of fat found in aquatic animals like the ringed seal that prevents body heat from being lost to water.