http://www.ck12.org Chapter 15. Water
15.1 Properties of Water
Lesson Objectives
- Explain the different characteristics that water exhibits in its solid, liquid, and gaseous forms.
- Explain the processes by which water, ice, and steam interconvert.
- Describe the arrangement of water molecules in ice.
- Describe the molecular model of liquid water, and use this to explain some of its properties.
- Compare the density, surface tension, and heat capacity of water to other common liquids.
Lesson Vocabulary
- crystalline solid: A solid in which molecules are fixed in an arranged pattern.
- frost: A type of ice produced by the deposition of water vapor.
- amorphous solid: A solid in which molecules are in a fixed place but lack the organization of a regular,
repeating pattern. - surface tension: A property of liquids describing the tendency of surface molecules to be pulled in towards
the liquids center, creating a surface that is tightened like a film. - heat capacity: An inherent property of a given substance indicating how much heat the substance must absorb
to cause a certain increase in temperature.
Check Your Understanding
- Explain the similarities and differences between polar and nonpolar substances. What intermolecular forces
do each of these substance types exhibit? - Some substances, like solid carbon dioxide, sublime at room temperature. Write an equation describing this
process. What is the opposite of sublimation called? - An ice cube is cold to the touch because heat from our hands is going into the ice cube, heating and eventually
melting the ice. How would it feel if we were to touch something while it was in the process of freezing? - The following substances are placed into a graduated cylinder, in no particular order: mercury, copper BBs,
and water. Over time, the substances separate based on density. How will these substances layer themselves
in the cylinder, from top to bottom? - Are the following substances amorphous or crystalline?:
a. hard candy
b. diamond
c. glass in a windowpane