EQ: Why is water so important to us?
Water
 Universal solvent
 Most things will happily dissolve in it
 Can exist in all three stages on earth
 Ice – solid
 Water – liquid
 Water vapor – gas
 The ability to bond and dissolve most things is due
to the polarity of the molecule
 Positive charge on one end and negative charge on the
other
 Covalent bonds between the hydrogen and the oxygen
 Humans are mostly water – without water life on
earth would not exist
Water cont.
 Water molecules are “sticky” due to their
polarity
 Cohesion: water is attracted to itself
 Adhesion: water is attracted to other substances
 Surface Tension: result of neighboring
molecules attraction to each other which pulls
surface molecules inward
 Meniscus: curved surface of a liquid in a
container
 Capillary action: water flowing through a
narrow space against gravity
Heat Capacity
 The heat capacity is the amount of heat needed to
raise 1ml of liquid 1 degree in temperature
 This refers to the amount of heat that a molecule can
store without reacting to it
 Water has a high heat capacity
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This is why it is used to cool cars
Keeps oceans and lakes at almost a constant temperature
Maintain homeostasis