AP Biology Flashcards: Structure of Water and Hydrogen Bonding
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Review key ideas with interactive flashcards. This set includes 10 cards to help you master important concepts.
What is the relationship between water's polarity and its emergent properties like cohesion and adhesion?
Water's polarity allows it to form hydrogen bonds, and these hydrogen bonds are directly responsible for the emergent properties of cohesion, adhesion, and surface tension.
Card 1 of 10
All Flashcards (10)
What is the relationship between water's polarity and its emergent properties like cohesion and adhesion?
Water's polarity allows it to form hydrogen bonds, and these hydrogen bonds are directly responsible for the emergent properties of cohesion, adhesion, and surface tension.
Explain the biological importance of water's high heat of vaporization.
Water's high heat of vaporization allows for effective evaporative cooling, as a large amount of heat is removed from an organism's body when sweat or water evaporates.
List three properties of water that are a direct result of hydrogen bonding between its molecules.
Three properties resulting directly from hydrogen bonds are cohesion, adhesion, and surface tension.
What is surface tension?
Surface tension is a property of liquids that allows them to resist an external force, caused by the cohesive nature of its molecules (like hydrogen bonds in water).
When you sweat, your body cools down. Which property of water is primarily responsible for this cooling effect?
The high heat of vaporization of water is responsible for this evaporative cooling effect, as a significant amount of body heat is used to convert liquid sweat to vapor.
Define cohesion in the context of water.
Cohesion is the property of water molecules sticking to each other, which is a direct result of the hydrogen bonds that form between them.
An insect can stand on the surface of a pond without sinking. Which property of water, caused by hydrogen bonds, is responsible for this?
Surface tension, which is the result of cohesion between water molecules due to hydrogen bonding, allows the insect to stand on the water's surface.
Define adhesion in the context of water.
Adhesion is the property of water molecules clinging to other, different substances, which is also due to water's polarity and hydrogen bonding.
How does water's high specific heat benefit living systems?
Water's high specific heat allows it to absorb large amounts of heat with only a small change in temperature, helping organisms maintain a stable internal environment.
What structural feature of water molecules is responsible for the formation of hydrogen bonds?
The polarity of water molecules, which results in a slight negative charge on the oxygen atom and slight positive charges on the hydrogen atoms, leads to hydrogen bonding.