Water and Life

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms related to the properties of water and its significance in supporting life.

Hydrogen Bond

Weak attractions between oppositely charged regions of water molecules.

Cohesion

The binding together of like molecules, such as water molecules held by hydrogen bonds.

Adhesion

The clinging of one substance to another, such as water to plant cell walls.

High Specific Heat

The amount of heat that must be absorbed or lost for 1 g of a substance to change its temperature by 1ºC.

Evaporative Cooling

The process where the evaporation of a liquid cools the remaining surface, helping to stabilize temperatures.

Polarity

The uneven distribution of charge across a water molecule, resulting in partially positive hydrogen and partially negative oxygen.

Versatile Solvent

Water's ability to dissolve a wide variety of substances due to its polarity and hydrogen bonding.

Hydration Shell

The sphere of water molecules that surrounds each dissolved ion in an aqueous solution.

Acid

Any substance that increases the H+ concentration of a solution.

Base

Any substance that reduces the H+ concentration of a solution.

pH Scale

A logarithmic scale used to specify the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution.

Buffer

Substances that minimize changes in the concentration of H+ and OH- in a solution.