Chapter 2b: Chemistry of water

Hydrophilic

Having a tendency to mix with, dissolve in, or be wetted by water

Hydrophobic

Tending to repel or fail to mix with water

Acid

An acid is a chemical that increases the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) in a solution, resulting in a pH below 7.  

Base

A substance with a pH above 7 that accepts hydrogen ions

pH

A logarithmic scale measuring the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) in an aqueous solution, indicating its acidity or basicity.

Polarity

Molecular polarity, referring to the uneven distribution of electrical charge within a molecule, and cellular/developmental polarity, which describes the asymmetrical distribution of molecules or structures within a cell or organism. 

Electronegativity

An atom's relative ability to attract a shared pair of electrons when forming a chemical bond.

Hydrogen bond

A type of weak chemical bond formed when the slightly positive hydrogen atom of a polar covalent bond in one molecule is attracted to the slightly negative atom of a polar covalent bond in another molecule (or in another region of the same molecule).

Solution

A homogeneous mixture where one substance, the solute, is uniformly dissolved in another, the solvent

Solute

The substance that gets dissolved and is present in the smaller amount.

Solvent

The substance that does the dissolving and is present in the larger amount.

Specific Heat

The amount of heat energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of a substance by 1 degree Celsius (°C).