The Properties of Water

My AP Biology Thoughts Unit 1 Episode #35

Welcome to My AP Biology Thoughts podcast, my name is Nikki and I am your host for episode #35 called Unit 1 Chemistry of Life: Water Properties. Today we will be discussing how the chemical makeup of water gives it unique properties that allow it to foster life.

Segment 1: Introduction to Water properties

Water consists of 2 hydrogen atoms covalently bonded to a single oxygen atom. The electronegativity of the oxygen makes the molecule partially positive by the Hydrogen atoms and partially negative by the oxygen atom. This creates a polar molecule that can hydrogen bond to other molecules. This makeup is key to many of water’s unique properties.

Segment 2: Example of Water properties

The first property of water that is unique is its high specific heat

• Takes a lot of energy to increase the temperature of water
• This is bc pf H bonds, need enough E to break all H bonds and H bands are strong

Ice floats

• This is unique
• Solid float when less dense than liquid
• Lattice structure created between max amount of H bonds cause water to expand, making it less dense
• Seen in glaciers or everyday life

Adhesive and Cohesive

• Cohesion-resist coming apart
• Adhesion-attraction between water and solid surface
• Strong H bonds
• Can adhere to anything because partial charge
• In stems of plants

Solvency

• Can dissolve anything with partial or full positive or negative charge and breaks apart
• The positive and negative charges of water attract charges in other compounds, pulling them apart into smaller molecules. Example: a block of salt gets pulled apart into Na+ and
• Cl- ions

Segment 3: Digging Deeper water properties

Ice floats- water would freeze and glaciers are home to arctic animals

Adhesive and cohesive= capillary action and plants getting water solvency. It means that wherever water goes, either through the air, the ground, or through our bodies, it takes along valuable chemicals, minerals, and nutrients, Water serves to suspend the red blood cells to carry oxygen to the cells. It is the solvent for the electrolytes and nutrients needed by the cells, and the solvent to carry waste material away from the cells.

Thank you for listening to this episode of My AP Biology Thoughts. For more student-ran podcasts and digital content, make sure that you visit www.hvspn.com. See you next time!

Music Credits:

• “Ice Flow” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
• Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
• http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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