What Is Water Polarity
Alexis Jones
4/20/16
Chemistry- Water Polarity
Mrs. Jenny
Polarity: The intermolecular forces between the slightly positively- charged end of one molecule to the negative end of another of the same molecule.
Polarity simply means that the molecule has both a negatively and positively charged end. The polarity of water is important because it is responsible for dissolving other polar molecules like ionic compounds (such as salt) and sugars. To form ions, ionic compounds must be dissolved in water. This is important because for most biological reactions to occur, the reactants must be dissolved in water. Substances that cannot be dissolved by water (such as oils) are called fat soluble and are nonpolar.
Water is composed of polar molecules, and …show more content…
There is no net charge to a water molecule but, since the polarity of water creates a slightly negative charge on oxygen and a slightly positive charge on hydrogen (contributing to water’s properties of attraction); The charges of water are generated because oxygen is more electron loving, or electronegative, than hydrogen. So, it would be more likely that a shared electron would be found near the oxygen nucleus rather than the hydrogen nucleus. When water molecules align with each other, a weak bond is established between the positively charged hydrogen atoms of a water molecule and the negatively charged oxygen atom of a neighboring water molecule; this is known as hydrogen bonding. Hydrogen bonding is actually very important and is also common is living organisms; hydrogen bonding makes water molecules stick to each other, and this cohesion helps pull water upward in the microscopic vessels of plants. Hydrogen bonds also form between bases of DNA to help hold the DNA chain together. Hydrogen bonds give water molecules two additional characteristics as well; surface tension and
4/20/16
Chemistry- Water Polarity
Mrs. Jenny
Polarity: The intermolecular forces between the slightly positively- charged end of one molecule to the negative end of another of the same molecule.
Polarity simply means that the molecule has both a negatively and positively charged end. The polarity of water is important because it is responsible for dissolving other polar molecules like ionic compounds (such as salt) and sugars. To form ions, ionic compounds must be dissolved in water. This is important because for most biological reactions to occur, the reactants must be dissolved in water. Substances that cannot be dissolved by water (such as oils) are called fat soluble and are nonpolar.
Water is composed of polar molecules, and …show more content…
There is no net charge to a water molecule but, since the polarity of water creates a slightly negative charge on oxygen and a slightly positive charge on hydrogen (contributing to water’s properties of attraction); The charges of water are generated because oxygen is more electron loving, or electronegative, than hydrogen. So, it would be more likely that a shared electron would be found near the oxygen nucleus rather than the hydrogen nucleus. When water molecules align with each other, a weak bond is established between the positively charged hydrogen atoms of a water molecule and the negatively charged oxygen atom of a neighboring water molecule; this is known as hydrogen bonding. Hydrogen bonding is actually very important and is also common is living organisms; hydrogen bonding makes water molecules stick to each other, and this cohesion helps pull water upward in the microscopic vessels of plants. Hydrogen bonds also form between bases of DNA to help hold the DNA chain together. Hydrogen bonds give water molecules two additional characteristics as well; surface tension and