Water: The Most Important Molecule For Life

Please choose one of the molecules that we learned about in the readings, and describe it.

Water is one of the most common substances on the the planet covering over 70% of the Earth 's surface. We ourselves are also made up of mostly water and it 's a trait shared by all other living organisms. It is unusual in that it can exist in 3 different states of matter: solid, liquid and gaseous. At standard ambient temperature and pressure it is a liquid and is almost colourless with little to no smell or taste of it 's own. It has no caloric value nor does it provide any vitamins or minerals. Yet water is an essential nutrient to all organisms. Some have argued that it is the single most important molecule for life on the planet.

2. You should

tis means a single water molecules is made up of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom covalently bonded to each other. This is to say that the oxygen and hydrogen atoms are bound together by shared electrons. The oxygen atom provides a single electron to both hydrogen atoms to complete hydrogen 's electron outer shell of two while the single electron of each hydrogen atom completes the oxygen 's outer electron shell of 8. Water itself is created when a single water molecule forms a hydrogen bond with up to four other water molecules. This means that the partially negative oxygen atoms are attracted to the partially positive hydrogen atoms and form a bond.

3. Outline its chemical properties.

Water has four main properties:

1. Water makes a great solvent - A solvent is a substance, usually a liquid in which other substances (solutes) dissolve to form a homogenous mixture. Many substances dissolve easily and readily in to water. The Earth 's salty oceans are an example of water as a solvent.

2. Water is cohesive - Water molecules are attracted to one another due to their ability to create hydrogen bonds. This means that water molecules like to stick together. An example of water cohesion is seen when a drinking glass can be filled to just above the rim. The attraction of the water molecules creates surface tension stopping the water from