Role and Properties of Water
Role and Properties of Water
Role and Properties of Water
IMPORTANCE OF
WATER
• Body is formed with solids & fluids.
• In human body water content is 45-75%
of body weight.
• Water has 2 main functions in the
metabolic process
–It act as transport medium , delivers
oxygen and nutrients to different parts
of the body.
–It removes toxins and waste from the
body.
By maintaining the Homeostasis
• Homeostasis is the tendency of organisms to auto-
regulate and biological systems maintain their internal
environment in a stable state while adjusting to
conditions that are optimal for survival..
Figure 11.3
Importance :
1. In transport Mechanism (hormones, antibodies
and oxygen through the blood stream)
2. In metabolic reactions
3. In maintenance of tissue texture and lubricants
4. Regulates body temperature through perspiration
5. Reduces friction between joints and facilitates
movement.
6. Acts as a cushion between organs in order to
protect them
7. Facilitates normal functions of body processes.
I. POLARITY
Structure of the Water Molecule
H + H + O → H2O
(chemical formula)
• Water molecule made H H
of 2 hydrogen and one
oxygen atom.
• Hydrogen atoms have O
a positive charge and
oxgen is more negative Structural formula
charge.
Water is Polar molecule
• The two hydrogen atoms of water are linked covalently
to oxygen, each sharing an electron pair, to give a
nonlinear arrangement
Solid (Ice)
• The water molecules are linearly
arranged
• Hydrogen Bonds are straight; that
is, the H atom lies on a direct line
between the two O atoms
•The hydrogen bonds form a space-
filling, three-dimensional network
•Form a lattice
•This linearity and directionality of
H bonds makes the ice strong.
Solid
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• Ice is less dense as a solid than as a
liquid (ice floats)
• Liquid water has hydrogen bonds that
are constantly being broken and
reformed.
• Frozen water forms a crystal-like
lattice whereby molecules are set at
fixed distances.
Importance of Water’s Density
• Ponds don’t freeze from the
bottom up (and don’t freeze
solid)
• Ice floats, and forms an
insulating layer for life below
• polar sea ice
• Stabilizes ocean temperatures
and climate (causes
turnovers…we’ll learn about this
later)
Freezing
• Density of ice (at 0°C) is 0.917 g/mL, so ice
floats in water.
◼ Most liquids become more
dense as you cool them. http://www.anglianwater.co.uk/schools/noscript/f1.htm
http://kingfish.coastal.edu/biology/sgilman/770lecwatersalt.htm
States of Water
Liquid
• H2O molecules in liquid water form a
disordered H-bonded network
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Water is Less Dense as a Solid
•Which is ice and which is water?
States of Water
This is called
Evaporation
States of Water
• When gas or vapor molecules slow down, they clump
or join together.
This is called
Condensation
• The average lifetime of an H-
bonded connection between two
H2O molecules in water is 9.5
psec (picoseconds, where 1
psec = 10-12 sec).
• About every 10 psec, the
average water molecule moves,
reorients, and interacts with new
neighbors
• Pure liquid water consists of H2O
molecules held in a disordered,
three-dimensional network with
contains a large number of
strained or broken hydrogen
bonds.
III. Attraction to other
Polar Molecules
Polarity
• Warmer temperature
• Hot water is a better cleaning agent because the lower
surface tension makes it a better "wetting agent" to get
into pores and fissures rather than bridging them with
surface tension.
Attach to a
silken spider
Form spheres &
web
hold onto plant
leaves
IV. UNIVERSAL SOLVENT
SOLVENT PROPERTIES
• Solvent - substance that dissolves other substances.
• Highly polar nature, water is an excellent solvent for
ionic substances such as salts
nonionic but polar substances such as sugars, simple
alcohols, and amines
carbonyl-containing molecules such as aldehydes and
ketones.
are easily dissolved by water
• Electrostatic attractions between the positive and negative
ions in the crystal lattice of a salt are very strong, water
readily dissolves salts
• When salt is dissolved in water it forms a solution because
all of the particles are evenly distributed.
• Gases such as oxygen, carbon dioxide,
and nitrogen are also easily dissolved into
water
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Water As An Inert Solvent
• Water is not altered by any substance it dissolves,
and in turn, those substances being dissolved are
not altered by the water.
• This makes water an inert solvent.
Solutions & Suspensions
• Water is usually part of a mixture.
• There are two types of mixtures:
• Solutions
• Suspensions
Solution
• Ionic compounds disperse as ions in water
• Evenly distributed
• SOLUTE
• Substance that is being dissolved
• SOLVENT
• Substance into which the solute
dissolves
Solution
Suspensions
• Substances that don’t
dissolve but separate
into tiny pieces.
• Water keeps the pieces
suspended so they
don’t settle out.