Oceanography Chapter 5- Water and Seawater Properties

What type of bonds make up water molecules?

polar covalent bonds

The molecules polarity make water the world’s what?

universal solvent

Why does water have high surface tension?

high cohesion between molecules

What can’t water dissolve?

nonpolar molecules such as lipids

Difference between calories and Calories?

calories refers to the heat required to raise one gram of water by one degree Celsius, Calories refers to kilocalories

What does temperature measure in water?

the kinetic energy of the water molecules

Why is liquid water denser than ice?

although a solid, the arranged pattern of ice molecules leaves gaps that push the molecules apart, but liquid water molecules is packed closer together, making it more dense

High heat capacity

a relatively large amount of energy is required to raise the temperature one degree of water

Latent heat

the heat absorbed/released during a change of state

What can change the freezing point of water?

amount of dissolved solids (salinity)

Methods of measuring salinity

evaporate water and measure residue, use principle of constant proportions, salinometer to measure conductivity

What affects seawater salinity?

runoff, precipitation, icebergs melting, sea ice forming/melting, evaporation

Why does salinity peak at the tropics?

evaporation and precipitation zones

How does temperature affect salinity?

as temperature increases, density decreases

How does salinity affect density?

as salinity increases, density increases

How does pressure affect density?

as pressure increases, density increases

Halocline

ocean layer characterized by the rapid change in salinity

Pycnocline

ocean layer characterized by the rapid change in density

Thermocline

ocean layer characterized by the rapid change in temperature