AICE Marine Science Chapter 1: Water Properties, Bonding, and Ocean Layers

What does the kinetic particle theory state?

Matter is a collection of particles that are in constant, random motion.

What are the three states of water?

Solid, liquid, and gas.

What are the basic units of matter?

Atoms.

What are the three subatomic particles?

Protons, neutrons, and electrons.

What is the charge of protons, neutrons, and electrons?

Protons have a positive charge, neutrons have no charge, and electrons have a negative charge.

What is the nucleus of an atom made of?

Protons and neutrons.

How are electrons arranged in an atom?

Electrons are arranged on shells surrounding the nucleus.

What is the maximum number of electrons in the first and second shells?

The first shell can hold 2 electrons, and the second shell can hold up to 8 electrons.

What does the atomic number of an element indicate?

The number of protons in the nucleus of that element.

What is a compound?

A substance with a specific ratio of different elements bonded together.

What are emergent properties?

Unique characteristics of a compound that its individual elements do not possess.

What are the three types of bonds between atoms?

Covalent, ionic, and hydrogen bonds.

What characterizes covalent bonds?

They form when two atoms share a pair of electrons and are strong bonds that are hard to break.

What is the most prevalent covalent compound on Earth?

Water.

What characterizes ionic bonds?

They form between a positive and a negative ion, resulting from the loss or gain of electrons.

What is a common example of an ionic compound?

Sodium chloride (NaCl).

What are hydrogen bonds?

Bonds that occur between a hydrogen atom and an oxygen, nitrogen, or fluoride atom.

What are the three properties of water impacted by hydrogen bonds?

Universal solvent, specific heat capacity, and different density.

What is the definition of a solvent?

A substance capable of dissolving other substances.

What is solubility?

The extent to which a substance (solute) can be dissolved in a solvent.

How does temperature affect solubility in seawater?

As temperature rises, the rate of dissolution of salts increases.

What causes a decrease in salinity in seawater?

Precipitation and runoff add freshwater, diluting salinity.

What causes an increase in salinity in seawater?

Evaporation leaves salts behind, accumulating in the water.

What does the pH scale measure?

The concentration of hydrogen ions in water.

What is the pH of a neutral solution?

pH is 7.

What are the methods to measure pH?

Litmus indicator, universal indicator, and pH probes.

What factors contribute to the concentration of gases in seawater?

Turbulence and wave action facilitate the dissolving of gases.

Which gas is very soluble in seawater and why?

CO2 is very soluble because it forms carbonic acid in water.

Why does cold water dissolve more gas than warm water?

Cold water has a higher capacity to dissolve gases compared to warm water.

How does atmospheric pressure affect gas solubility in ocean water?

Increased pressure leads to increased gas solubility; low pressure systems cause gases to be lost from ocean water to the atmosphere.

What is the relationship between water pressure and gas solubility?

Pressure increases with depth, leading to increased gas solubility and reduced gas loss.

How does salinity affect the amount of dissolved gases in water?

Lower salinity allows for more gas dissolution; freshwater has more oxygen than ocean water.

Where is most dissolved oxygen (DO) found in ocean water?

Most O2 is found in the top 100m of water due to photosynthesis and wave motion.

What happens to oxygen levels as depth increases in the ocean?

Oxygen levels decrease until reaching the oxygen minimum layer (OML) at about 100m-1000m deep.

What causes the oxygen minimum layer (OML) in the ocean?

Lack of photosynthesis, continued respiration and decomposition, which removes dissolved oxygen.

How do organisms adapt to low oxygen levels in the OML?

They may have specialized gills for extracting O2 or may be inactive.

What occurs after the oxygen minimum layer in terms of oxygen concentration?

Oxygen concentrations begin to increase due to low food resources and cold temperatures that enhance O2 solubility.

Define density in the context of seawater.

Density is the mass of a defined volume of water divided by its volume.

What happens to denser water in the ocean?

Denser water sinks while less dense water rises to the surface.

What factors affect the density of seawater?

Temperature, salinity, and pressure.

How does pressure affect seawater density?

As pressure increases, the density of seawater increases.

What is a pycnocline?

An area of water where density changes quickly with depth.

What is a thermocline?

The layer between warm and cold water where temperature changes rapidly.

How does salinity affect seawater density?

Increased salinity leads to increased density; freshwater sits on top of saltier water.

What is a halocline?

The layer between less saline/less dense surface waters and more saline/more dense bottom water.

What role does wind play in ocean mixing?

Winds create currents, waves, and turbulence that mix surface waters up to about 200m.

What happens when surface waters cool?

Their density increases, causing them to sink and carry nutrients and gases with them.

What is the effect of temperature on the solubility of salts in water?

Higher temperatures generally decrease the solubility of salts.

What is salinity?

The concentration of dissolved salts in seawater, typically measured in parts per thousand (ppt).

How do surface runoff, precipitation, and evaporation affect seawater salinity?

Surface runoff and precipitation dilute salinity, while evaporation increases it.

What is the pH scale?

A measure of hydrogen ion concentration in water, indicating acidity, neutrality, or alkalinity.

What indicators can be used to measure pH in water samples?

Litmus indicator, Universal Indicator, and pH probes.

What is the significance of ice floating on seawater?

It acts as a thermal insulator and provides habitat for marine organisms.

What is the relationship between temperature gradients and ocean layers?

Temperature gradients form layers such as the surface layer, thermocline, halocline, and deep ocean.