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Water and the Fitness of the

Environment
Chapter 3

Chapter 3 Page 1 : Properties of Water

Water

molecules are polar and hydrogen bond to

each other. This bonding is responsible for the
special properties of water

The

properties of water are as follows:

Cohesion

= water molecules stick together as a

result of the partial charge attractions between
the hydrogen and oxygen. This is one reason
plants can transport water against gravity.

Chapter 3 Page 2 : Properties of Water Cont.

Adhesion = clinging of one substance to another. In plants

the water molecules cling to the sides of the vessels helping
transport against gravity. This is also seen in glass
graduated cylinders in the lab Ex meniscus

Surface tension = level of difficulty involved in breaking or

stretching the surface of a liquid

High specific heat = this means how successfully a

substance resists changing temperature

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What Is Specific Heat??????? Again

The

amount of amount of heat that must be

gained or lost to change the temperature of 1
gram of a substance by 1 C.

Water

absorbs a lot of heat before its temp rises

Why????????

Surface Tension is holding me up!

Chapter 3 Page 4: Properties of Water Cont.

High

heat of vaporization = it takes a great

amount of energy to convert water from liquid to
gas. This helps moderate earths climate in the
case of water.

Water

expands when it freezes; it becomes less

dense and floats

Water

is a solvent; many substances dissolve in it

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Chapter 3 Page 5 : Acids and Bases

Hydrophobic = repelled by water; mostly non polar

substances

Hydrophilic = water loving or attracted to water. Most of

these compounds are polar or charged.

Acid = substance which increases the H ion in a solution

Base = substance which accepts H ions or donates OH.

Bases reduce the H ion concentration of a solution.

pH
pH

= negative log of the H ion concentration. pH

declines as H ion concentration increases and
increases as H ion concentration decreases

The

Formulas: pH = - log [H+]

pOH = - log [OH-]

Chapter 3 Page 6 : Acids and Bases Cont.

pH scale is logarithmic. This means for every unit of

increase or decrease, the ion concentrations change by a
factor of 10

the pH scale runs from 0 -14. Seven is neutral. Less than

seven is acid and greater than seven is base

you can use the concentration acid or base to determine

the corresponding concentration because
[H] x [OH]
= 14

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Chapter 3 page 7 : Acids and Bases Cont.

Buffers are substances that minimize chances is the H ion

or OH ion concentration

Ex Human Blood pH range 7.35 -7.45 optimum humans

can only survive blood pH of 7 or greater than 7.8 for a
few minutes

Buffers work by accepting excess H ions and donating H

ions when depleted. It can in practice also occur with
donation of OH we wont get into that here
Buffers are extremely essential in biological systems

Chapter 3 Page 8: Acid Rain

Normal rain pH = about 5.6

Acid rain = any pH below that

Ecological damage of great proportions is occurring in

Europe and in some of our high altitude systems.

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Acidification of seawater and coral reefs

Reduction

in carbonate ions in seawater

Study

by Langdon indicates coral reef

calcification decreased bt acidification

What is the pH of a liquid that has a

[H] of 0.0001
A.
B.
C.

1
4
3

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Problem Solving:
What

is the [ H+ ] of an acid that is pH 5?

What

is the pH of a substance with an

[OH-] of 0.0000001?

The

pH in your fish bowl was 12 yesterday.

You put in acidifier and measure the pH
today. It is now 8. What is the H+ difference?