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Chapter 6 3
Chapter 6 3
NWRC BIO 30
Waters Polarity
Water is a "polar" molecule, meaning that there is an uneven distribution of electron density. Water has a partial negative charge near the oxygen atom due the unshared pairs of electrons, and partial positive charges near the hydrogen atoms.
Waters Polarity
An attraction between the partial positive charge near the hydrogen atoms and the partial negative charge near the oxygen results in the formation of a hydrogen bond as shown
Chemistry
Chemicals can be grouped by their properties. One of these properties is pH, which tells you whether a substance is an acid, a base, or between an acid and a base called a neutral.
What is pH?
The p stands for potential, or power. The H stands for the chemical symbol for hydrogen. The pH of a solution is how acidic or basic it is.
Bases:
Bases are the opposite of acids. They contain a hydroxide ion, and feel slippery or soapy. Bases in food have no strong taste.
Neutralization
All acids release H+ into solution (and all bases release OH-). acids and bases counteract each other. This idea, that a base can make an acid weaker, and vice versa, is called neutralization. Neutralization: acids release H+ into solution and bases release OH-. If we were to mix an acid and base together, the H+ ion would combine with the OH- ion to make the molecule H2O, or plain water: H+ OH H2O The neutralization reaction of an acid with a base will always produce water
Water and pH
All substances are made up of millions of tiny atoms. These atoms form small groups called molecules. In water, for example, each molecule is made up of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. The formula for a molecule of water is H2O. "H" means hydrogen, "2" means 2 hydrogen atoms, and the "O" means oxygen.
The pH scale
pH is measured On a scale from 014. pH levels from 0-6 is acidic. pH levels from 8-14 is basic. pH of 7 is neutral.
pH Facts:
As acids get stronger, pH gets lower. A pH of 1 is a very strong acid. As bases get stronger, pH gets higher. A pH of 14 is a very strong base. Can you think of some foods that might be a base or an acid? (remember, acids taste sour, bases dont have much of a taste)
Why is pH important?
Both humans and aquatic (water) organisms depend on water. The pH of water must be within a range of 5 to 9 in order for organisms to survive. Waters with a pH less than about 5 are too acidic for humans to drink and cannot allow most aquatic life to survive. Low pH can also cause the pipes our water comes out of to wear away. Waters that are too basic can also harm humans, plants, and animals. Water with a pH of greater that 9 can dissolve materials such as animal scales and skin.
Examples of pH levels
Water: should be between 5 and 9 for most aquatic organisms to live. Algae: grow best between 7.5 and 8.4. Acid Rain: 1-3, battery acid: 0 Aquatic bacteria can live in a pH level between 2 and 13 and plants between 6 and 13. Organisms such as carp, catfish, bass, bluegill, snails, clams, mussels and trout can be found in pH levels between 6 and 9.