Physical properties of water and animals in aquatic habitats
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Question
Define specific heat capacity.
Answer
The amount of **heat needed to change the temperature** of a substance. Water's is **high**, so its temperature changes slowly.
Question
Why does water have a high specific heat capacity?
Answer
Heating it must **break/stretch many hydrogen bonds** between the polar molecules, which takes a lot of energy.
Question
Define heat of vaporisation.
Answer
The **heat needed to turn a liquid into vapour**. Water's is high, so evaporation removes a lot of heat.
Question
What is evaporative cooling?
Answer
Cooling caused because **evaporating water carries heat away** from the surface left behind (e.g. sweating).
Question
How does sweating cool an organism?
Answer
Evaporating the sweat **takes heat from the skin** (high heat of vaporisation), lowering body temperature.
Question
Define thermal conductivity.
Answer
How well a material **lets heat pass through it**. Water conducts heat well, so it draws heat from a warm body.
Question
Why does a seal need blubber in cold water?
Answer
Water's **high thermal conductivity** makes it lose body heat fast; **blubber insulates** against this.
Question
Why is an aquatic habitat thermally stable?
Answer
Water's **high specific heat capacity** means its temperature changes only slowly, day and night.
Question
What single cause underlies water's thermal properties?
Answer
The **hydrogen bonds** between polar water molecules — breaking them costs energy.
Question
Compare temperature change in water vs air given the same heat.
Answer
**Water changes far less** (high specific heat capacity); **air swings more widely**.
Question
Which property explains why land cools faster than the sea at night?
Answer
Water's **high specific heat capacity** — the sea releases a lot of heat for only a small temperature drop.
Question
Name water's three biologically important thermal properties.
Answer
High **specific heat capacity**, high **heat of vaporisation**, and high **thermal conductivity**.
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