5. Four important properties of water include:
a. Cohesion: hydrogen bonds hold water
molecules together.
b. High specific heat: hydrogen bonds
absorb heat when they break & release heat when they form, minimizing temperature
changes.
c. High heat of vaporization: Many hydrogen
bonds must be broken for water to evaporate, which takes lots of energy. (Ex:
sweat cools the skin.)
d. Lower density of ice: Water molecules
in ice crystals are spaced relatively far apart due to hydrogen bonding, making
ice less dense than water so it floats (insulating layer over lakes).
e. High polarity: water is a good solvent
as its polar nature helps dissolve other polar substances.
------------ ------------
Slichter