Molecules and Cells - Chemistry of Life



By: Khoi

One Response to “How do the unique chemical and physical properties of water make life on earth possible?”

1. Charles Han on June 30th, 2009 10:07 pm

   1- Water has high specific heat capacity: This is the amount of energy water has to absorb in order to become a higher temperature. Large bodies of water can take in lots of heat and resist changes in temperature and provide a stable envrionmental temperature for the organisms that live in them.

   2- Water has high heat of of vaporization: Lots of heat is needed to evaporate water. Because of this, humans can cool down quickly by sweating (by putting the heat energy into water and then letting it out).

   3- Water has high adhesion properties: Water can cling onto other water molecules tightly. Plants use capillary action to pull water up aginst the pull of gravity, without the use of energy.

   4- Water is the universal solvent: Dissolves all polar and ionic substances.

   5- Ice floats: Under freezing temperatures, if ice was more dense, all the fish would die in winter. This allows life to exist in winter.

Leave a Reply