Experiment: The Unique Properties of Water

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Group IV Project: Unique Properties of Water

There are different properties (anomalies) of water which are unique. The uniqueness of water comes from its molecular structure. The polarity of water molecules is a consequence of hydrogen bonding. The meaning of polarity is that the molecule has both a positively and a negatively charged end, so water has a slight positive and slight negative charge on opposite ends. Water’s polarity is in charge of dissolving other molecules like sugars and ionic compounds. Water is known as the “universal solvent” because it has the ability of dissolving many substances. A water molecule is made when two hydrogen atoms are combined with one oxygen atom. Cohesion is where molecules tend to stick together due to hydrogen bonding, meaning that hydrogen bonding can hold together water molecules. The specific heat of water is much more higher than the specific heat of other substances. Water is known to exist in three different states, which are a solid, a liquid, or a gas. Water is a liquid between 0 degrees Celsius and 100 degrees celsius, which is the temperature range from freezing point to boiling point.

An experiment involving the uniqueness of water is the “droplets on a penny” experiment. The aim of this experiment was to show the cohesion and surface tension of water molecules. To do this experiment, a penny, eyedropper, and water will be needed. The eyedropper should have water in it so the water droplets can fall onto the penny. The water droplets are to be counted until any amount of water runs off the edge of the penny. The number of droplets are to be recorded.

Trial 1 Trial 2

Water (amount of droplets on penny) 20 26

Cohesion is present in the “droplets on a penny” experiment because as the H2O molecules fall upon the penny, they attract each other to make a bigger H2O molecule. Surface tension is present since it describes the cohesion between water molecules. After a certain number of droplets are on the penny, the water overflows, causing the molecules to separate from each other.

Another experiment is the “specific heat capacity of water” experiment. In this experiment, the aim is to find specific heat capacity of water by measuring temperature change at certain time periods. The materials needed for this experiment are a stopwatch, electric heater, thermometer, and water. The procedure is to have water heated in the electric heater and using a thermometer measure the temperature change at time periods of 30 seconds, 1 minute, 1 and half minutes, and 2 minutes.

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