Properties of Water

Molecule

Formed when atoms join chemically.

Compound

A substance formed when atoms of different elements join chemically.

Covalent Bond

The type of chemical bond where atoms share electrons.

Polarity

The unequal sharing of electrons due to an atom's high electronegativity.

Polar Molecule

A molecule with a slight negative charge on one side and a positive charge on the other.

Hydrogen Bonding

The network formed when the positive hydrogen side of one water molecule sticks to the negative oxygen side of another.

Cohesion

The attraction between like molecules (water molecules sticking to each other).

Surface Tension

A property created by cohesion that makes the top layer of water act like an elastic skin.

Adhesion

The attraction between water molecules and other surfaces.

Capillary Action

The process where cohesion and adhesion work together to allow water to climb upward against gravity through thin tubes.

Specific Heat

Water's ability to absorb a large amount of heat before getting hot, allowing it to resist sudden temperature changes.

Universal Solvent

A designation for water because it can dissolve more substances than any other liquid.

Mixture

A combination of two or more substances.

Solution

A homogeneous mixture where a solid dissolves evenly into a liquid so individual particles can no longer be seen.

Solvent

The substance that does the dissolving in a solution.

Solute

The substance being dissolved in a solution.

Suspension

A mixture created when a substance cannot dissolve in water and its particles remain floating around.

Homeostasis

The maintenance of stable balance inside living things.

pH Scale

A scale from 0 to 14 that measures how acidic or basic a liquid is.

Acid

A substance with a pH lower than 7.

Base

A substance with a pH higher than 7.

Buffer

Special chemicals used by organisms to prevent sudden, dangerous shifts in pH.