Water

Functions of Water

• Water is a reactant in important chemical reactions such as photosynthesis and hydrolysis
• Water transports substances as it is a liquid, solvent and is cohesive, so can carry all sorts of material around human and plant. 
• Water has a high specific heat capacity and high latent heat of evaporation therefore can help with temperature control. 
• Water is a habitat due to it's temperature controlling abilities, solvent and less dense when frozen so organisms can reproduce and survive. 

Stucture of Water

Polarity of Water

A molecule of water is one atom of oxygen joined to two atoms of hydrogen by shared electrons.

Because the shared negative hydrogen electrons and pulled towards the oxygen atom, the other side of each hydrogen atom is left with a slight positive charge, The unshared negative electrons on the oxygen atom give it a slight negative charge. This makes water a polar molecule - it has a slight negative charge and a slight positive charge. 

Hydrogen Bonding

Hydrogen bonds are weak bonds between a slightly positively charged hydrogen atom in one molecule and a slighlty negatively charged atom in another molecule. Hydrogen bonds form between water molecules becuase the slightly negatively charged oxygen atoms attract the slightly positively charged hydrogen atoms of other water…