Name: ____KEY_______________ #_____
Date: ___________________ Core: _____
Water Properties Quiz Study Guide
Directions: Answer the questions without the use of your notes first, then using your notes for the concepts
that were difficult for you. Make flashcards or do some focused review for the concepts you don’t know well.
1.
Draw and label a water molecule. Include the elements that make up the molecule and the charge that
each part of the molecule has.
+
-
oxygen
hydrogens
+
2. Define polarity.
the uneven sharing of electrons in a covalent bond that causes one side of a molecule (oxygen in
water) to be slightly negative and the other side (hydrogen in water) to be slightly positive
3. What is a hydrogen bond?
the attraction between the slightly negative oxygen side of one water molecule to the slightly
positive hydrogen side of a different water molecule
4. Draw and label hydrogen bonds between water molecules.
-
+
+
H
-
H
O
H+
O
-
O
H+
H+
H+
hydrogen bonds
Term
Definition
Example
What Causes It?
cohesion
the attraction between two
or more water molecules
water forming a raindrop
polarity and hydrogen bonds
adhesion
the attraction between water
molecules and other polar
substances
raindrops sticking to a
window (because glass is
also polar)
polarity and hydrogen bonds
surface tension
the “film” on the surface of
water
a water strider can walk on
water
polarity and hydrogen bonds
capillary action
the ability of water to climb
up thin tubes with no energy
exertion
water travelling from the
roots to the leaves of plants
through the stems
cohesion and adhesion
Name: ____KEY_______________ #_____
Date: ___________________ Core: _____
5. Why is water considered to be the universal solvent? Why is this important to life on Earth?
because of its polarity, water has the ability to dissolve many different substances so it’s considered
the universal solvent; this is important because many nutrients and other substances required for
life on Earth are dissolved in water (such as oxygen so that fish can breathe underwater)
6. Why is it important that water has a high specific heat?
high specific heat means that it takes a lot of energy to heat water up and it also takes a long time
for water to cool down; this is important because it regulates the climate
7. Why is the density of water unique? Why is this important for life on Earth?
water's density is unique because when it changes from liquid to solid it becomes LESS dense
(unlike other substances), so ice floats; this is important because the organisms that live in water
can survive when a lake, river, part of the ocean freezes over because the ice actually insulates
them to an extent
Identify the property of water demonstrated in each picture below.
universal solvent
adhesion
surface tension
capillary action
cohesion