Chemistry of Water

Are you thirsty yet?

You will be…
Precipitation is a vital component of how water
moves through Earth’s water cycle, connecting
the ocean, land, and atmosphere. Knowing
where it rains, how much it rains and the
character of the falling rain, snow or hail allows
scientists to better understand precipitation’s
impact on streams, rivers, surface runoff and
groundwater. Frequent and detailed
measurements help scientists make models of
and determine changes in Earth’s water cycle.
The water cycle describes how water evaporates
from the surface of the earth, rises into the
atmosphere, cools and condenses into rain or snow
in clouds, and falls again to the surface as
precipitation. The water falling on land collects in
rivers and lakes, soil, and porous layers of rock, and
much of it flows back into the oceans, where it will
once more evaporate. The cycling of water in and out
of the atmosphere is a significant aspect of the
weather patterns on Earth.
 Fun Fact!
• 75% of the Earth is
covered by water
• The rest is
covered by Troy
Polamalu
 Water Molecules
Composed of 2 Hydrogen
atoms and 1 oxygen atom
covalently bonded (H2O)
Electrons stay with Oxygen
more which leads to
polarity
Polarity = molecule has a
positive (H) end and a
negative end (O)
Polarity gives water unique
properties
 Hydrogen
Bonding
= Negative (Oxygen) pole
of a water molecule is
attracted to the positive
(Hydrogen) pole of
another water molecule
• It is a weak attraction but
does give water some
cool properties
• Molecules that are not
polar will not experience
hydrogen bonding
Thirsty Yet?
 Some unique properties of water
1)High Boiling Point = 100oC (212oF)
2)Solid form is less dense than liquid form (ice
floats in liquid water)
3) Cohesion = water molecules wanting to stay
together, keeps water in puddles instead of
widespread droplets or molecules
4) Adhesion = water molecules wanting to
stay connected to other polar surfaces (glass)
More unique properties of water
• Capillary action = water rising on its own
up through a thin column
• Combination of adhesion attracting water
molecules to the side of the column and
cohesion pulling more water up into the
column
• Glass tubes and plant roots are good
examples
 Make it Happen
1) get a partner
2) get a dish and a capillary tube
3) get some water in the dish
4) add food coloring to water
5) show your teacher capillary
action using the tube
 Water can be part of mixtures
Mixture = a combination of pure substances
occupying the same space (physically mixed
but not chemically bonded)
Ex. Air is a mixture of gases (oxygen, carbon
dioxide, nitrogen, etc…)
Water can dissolve other substances into it to
create a solution
Water is the solvent
The dissolved substance is the solute
Salt water is a good example
 Other types of mixtures
Suspensions = a solid settles in a liquid,
does not dissolve
Sand in water

Blood is a combination of a solution and a

suspension
It contains cells (not dissolved) and other
dissolved substances like sugar
 Polarity of Substances
• “Like dissolves like”
• Polar liquids dissolve other polar liquids
• Polar liquids will not mix with non-polar
substances (i.e. – oil & water don’t mix)
• Substances that repel water = hydrophobic
• Substances attracted to water = hydrophilic
Is it dry in here?
 pH of solutions
pH describes the concentration of H+ ions in a
solution (acidity)
Water has a fairly neutral pH because not
many of its molecules lose a hydrogen ion
Some solutions have an abundance of H+ ions
and are called acids
Some solutions have a lack of H+ ions (or
abundance of OH-) and are called bases
 pH scale
Scale extends from 1 to 14
1-6 = acid (acidic)
8-14 = base (basic or alkaline)
7 = neutral
Buffers = weak acids or bases that can be
used to balance out strong changes in pH
Our bodies use buffer chemicals to maintain a
balanced pH
 pH Scale
What could you ingest for
an upset stomach?
Why does it work?
 pH Indicators
Litmus paper
Red = acidic, blue = basic

pH paper
Different colors correspond to a specific pH

Cabbage juice – similar reaction as pH

paper
Who wants a
drink?