describe the properties of water and its importance in chemi

Solution

Answer:

Water is a unique molecule due to the following properties:

(1) It can exist in all 3 forms- solid, liquid and gas.

(2) It is a polar molecule which is slightly bend and having both positive and negative charge. This facilitates dissolution of other polar molecules like sugar.

(3) Hydrogen bonding:

It can form hydrogen bond with other water molecules through the negatively charged oxygen atom of one water molecule and positively charged hydrogen bond of the other.

(4) Cohesion:

Its the property of accumulation of water molecules in close proximity due to its extensive hydrogen bonding capacity.

(5) Surface tension:

It is a form of cohesion due to hydrogen bonding that can be observed on the surface of water.

(6) High specific heat capacity:

Water has a high specific heat capacity which makes it unique in maintaining constant temperatures.

The importance of water in chemical evolution can be inferred directly from the Urey Miller\'s experiment on evolution which mimicked the primitive environment. The experiment included a flask of water representing ocean, and hydrogen, ammonia and methane acted as the reducing environment. Sparks from the electrodes represented lightening and cooler condenser causing rain. When the results were analysed, it was found that organic molecules have formed in the one week time interval. One of the component was amino acid which forms the building blocks of proteins. Thus, the warm water in the seas gave rise to the building blocks of living beings.

The next step of chemical evolution suggests the formation of proteins from amino acids through dehydration synthesis. Now we know the role of water in the 3-dimensional structure and function of proteins.