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Title: Water’s Unique P roperties A llow L ife to Exist on Earth.

Title: Water’s Unique P roperties A llow L ife to Exist on Earth. 9-14-2012. Water’s unique properties allow life to exist on Earth. Water is a polar molecule. Polar molecules have slightly charged regions because Oxygen doesn’t share electrons equally with Hydrogen.

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Title: Water’s Unique P roperties A llow L ife to Exist on Earth.

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  1. Title: Water’s Unique Properties Allow Life to Exist on Earth. 9-14-2012

  2. Water’s unique properties allow life to exist on Earth. • Water is a polar molecule. • Polar molecules have slightly charged regions because Oxygen doesn’t share electrons equally with Hydrogen. • Electrons have what kind of a charge • Label the charge on the water molecule below O H H

  3. Water’s unique properties allow life to exist on Earth. • Water is a polar molecule. • Polar molecules have slightly charged regions because Oxygen doesn’t share electrons equally with Hydrogen. • Electrons have what kind of a charge (negative) • Label the charge on the water molecule below O- +H H+ • What do opposite charges do?

  4. Water’s unique properties allow life to exist on Earth. • Properties of Water • Water is a polar molecule • High specific heat capacity • High heat of vaporization • Adhesion • Cohesion • Three states of matter • Kinetic energy differences • Repels hydrophobic materials

  5. Waters High Specific Heat Capacity • Water makes hydrogen bonds with other water molecules • You have to break the hydrogen bonds BEFORE waters temperature will increase • In other words, water absorbs a large amount of heat without changing temperature • Because of this water is very good at moderating climates of coastal ecosystems • Who has more extreme seasons, Chicago or Florida? • Water also helps maintain the correct temperatures in cells

  6. Waters High Heat of Vaporization • Water molecules absorb energy (heat) as they change state from a liquid to a gas • Evaporative Cooling: when an area or body becomes cooler as water evaporates off of it • Sweating/ perspiring

  7. Adhesion & Cohesion • Cohesion: water molecules are attracted to each other because of their polar charges • Responsible for surface tension (demo) • A “skin” that forms across the top of water • Adhesion: water molecules are attracted to other polar molecules and ions because of their charge distribution • Responsible for Capillary Action: • Water moves up thin tubes against gravity • Plants use this to get water from the roots all the way up

  8. Water exists naturally in 3 states on Earth • Solid (ice) • Ice is less dense than liquid water • Ice floats and insulates bodies of water underneath • Liquid • Gas (water vapor)

  9. Water is a Great Solvent • Water can dissolve other polar molecules • Water can dissolve ionic compounds (salt)

  10. How Organisms Exploit Waters Properties • Water is a good medium for metabolic processes because of its solvent properties • Osmosis • Diffusion • Water can moderate temperature • Ice as an insulator • Evaporative cooling • Moderation of coastal climates • Capillary Action (in plants) • Surface tension • Transpiration

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