WATER & pH

Prepared by: Pukana Jayaraman

Molecular structure of water

Polarisation of water molecules

Properties of water
Water is a universal solvent -excellent solvent for polar substances. -e.g: glucose and methanol -and ionic substances -e.g: salts - When such substance dissolve in water, the ions and polar groups are surrounded by water molecules which separate the ions or molecules from each other.

 Water exhibits high surface tension and cohesion

- Water molecule tend to stick together due to cohesive forces. - Due to strong cohesive forces, water has a higher surface tension than any other liquid. - Water molecules at the surface of pond stick to one another, the surface film acts almost like a membrane.

 Water has a high specific heat capacity of 4.2 kJ/kg/K - therefore a large amount of heat is needed to cause a slight increase in temperature as much of the energy is used in breaking the hydrogen bonds which restrict the movement of the molecules. - Water makes a good temperature buffer. Because water temperature does not increase as fast as other substances and enables water temperature in cells to remain relatively constant.

 Water has a latent heat of vaporisation of 2260 kJ/kg

- Measure of heat energy required to vaporise water, that is to overcome the hydrogen bondings between its molecules so that they can escape as a gas. Water has a high latent heat of fusion of 340 kJ/kg

- Measure of heat energy required to melt ice or loss of heat of liquid water to freeze.

 Density of water

- Decreases when below 40C. - Water freezes on top of the lakes first and insulates the layers below from further cooling or freezing, thus allowing life forms to thrive in the water beneath the ice.

Importance of water
Medium for many chemical reactions. Provides a moist surface that allows molecules to dissolve and diffuse across surfaces such as lungs. Lubricant: - mucus helps in the movement of food through alimentary canal. - synovial fluid lubricates joint in vertebrates. - pleural fluid lubricates lungs during breathing

pH
Is a concentration of a solution. The amount of H+ present indicates the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. Acid is a proton donor and a base is proton acceptor Electrolytes are important in carrying electrical currents, especially in muscle and nerve tissues.

pH
pH = -log10 [H+]
Water/ neutral pH = -log10 10-7 =7 Acidic solution pH < 7 Basic solution pH > 7

pH = -log10 [H+] pOH = -log10 [OH-]

pH + pOH = 14

Acid-Base Concepts (Bronsted Lowry)

Acid proton donor (H+ donor) Base proton acceptor (H+ acceptor) NH4+ (aq) + H2O (l) H3O+ (aq) + NH3 (aq) Conjugate base species that is left/ formed after an acid has donated its proton.

Conjugate acid species that is left/ formed after a base has accepted a proton.

NH4+ (aq) + H2O (l) H3O+ (aq) + NH3 (aq) NH4+ = acid NH3 = conjugate base H2O = base H3O+ = conjugate acid

CO32- (aq) + H2O (l) OH- (aq) + HCO3- (aq) CO32- = base H3O+ = conjugate acid H2O = acid OH- = conjugate base

Buffer
Chemical solution which can maintain/minimize pH change. Convert strong acid and bases into weak ones called buffer. A mixture of acid and its conjugate base Most important buffer in blood is carbonate buffer Large changes in blood pH are described in medical terms as acidosis (acidic) and alkalosis (basic)

Buffer Solution
Solution which can resist changes in pH when small amount of acid/ base is added to it. (a) Mixture of weak acid and its conjugate base (b) Mixture of weak base and its conjugate acid Henderson-Hasselback Equation for pH of Buffer. pH = pKa + log 10 [base] / [acid]

By far the most important buffer for maintaining acid-base balance in the blood is the carbonic-acid-bicarbonate buffer. The simultaneous equilibrium reactions of interest are:

Ion Product of Water, Kw

H2O H+ + OHK = [H+][OH-] / [H2O] Since ionization of H2O is very small, [H2O] constant K [H2O] = [H+][OH-] Kw = [H+][OH-] Kw is a constant at a constant temperature at 25oC Kw = 10-14 mol2 dm-6