Chemical and Physical Properties of Water

Chemical and Physical Properties of Water Water is the most common liquid found on earth. It is abundantly found almost everywhere in the universe and on earth. The body weight of a living thing is made in such a way that it is mainly composed of water. The percentage of water in a human being is about 50 – 70% while in other living organisms is about 95%. Water has a number of physical and chemical properties, but this assignment will only discuss the unique properties of water that make it vital to all living organisms to survive. Water has several properties and only those essential to living organisms will be discussed and these are as follows. WATER IS A UNIVERSAL SOLVENT A solvent is a solution in which a solute dissolves. The reason as to why water is known as a ‘universal solvent’ is that many different things can be dissolved in it than in any other liquid. Some of the substances cannot be used in the body unless it is in a solution form. Maitland (1978) agrees with this by saying that â€Å"most gases dissolve readily in water most notably those that are essential for life.† According to Maitland (1978), it is true to say that for some gases like oxygen can only be used by an organism if it is dissolved in water, for example fishes use dissolved oxygen for respiration. WATER HAS HIGH COHESION Cohesion means ‘the sticking together of particles of the same substances.’ Water has the attraction force to molecules of similar substances; this is due to the hydrogen bond which is found in a molecule of water. This force of attraction allows water to move upwards hence carrying with it minerals and nutrients that are needed for the plant to survive. In other words it means that water is the only known medium by which the nutrients and mineral salts can be transported. Water transports dissolved substances in the roots of plants and also transports dissolved food substances through the simple blood vessels in a human body. The high cohesive nature of water is used in the process of transpiration in plants. This happens in such a way that during the day when the plant is transpiring the pull exerted by transpiration makes water to move from the roots to the leaves of the plant and vice versa when it is dark. WATER HAS HIGH SURFACE TENSION According to Agarwa (1974), surface tension has been defined as, ‘a measure of how difficult it is to stretch or break a liquid surface.’ Water is able to form a tough film on its surface due to its high tension character or property. This surface of water supports aquatic life, for many large animals float on the surface due to up thrust. Maitland, (1978), prostitulates that ‘the pelogical habitat proper occurs only in larger bodies of standing water where there is sufficient area and depth for the water to be relatively uninfluenced by the substrate.’ From this statement it can be said that water is a habitat where whales live. It is not easy to compress water due to its high surface tension as a result of this, water acts as a skeleton called hydrostatic skeleton. This type of skeleton is found in soft bodied animals such as an earth worm. In this skeleton the fluid is secreted from the body and pressed against the body muscles and the muscles contracts against the fluid. In this way, the shape and form of this group of animals is maintained. LATENT HEAT OF VAPORISATION The word vaporation can also be termed as evaporation. Evaporation is defined as the change of state from liquid to gas or vapour. Evaporation is essential in keeping the human body cool and not only is it essential to human beings but is also vital to plants in that when excess water is lost during transpiration there is excess heat being lost which brings about the cooling effect. When water evaporates, for example from the surface of the skin or a leaf, it carries with it excess heat. The production of sweat helps in lowering the body temperature when it is too high. This is so vital because the body may overheat easily if certain measures are not taken to cool the body down. Kent (2000:23) says that, ‘heat is lost from the surface when water evaporates from it.’ Therefore, water acts as a cooling mechanism. Water really plays an important role in the cooling mechanism of plants and animals. PENETRATION OF LIGHT One of the properties of water is that of being colourless and transparent. This property allows light rays to penetrate water, therefore, enabling organisms that make their own food to survive in water. Light plays an important role in photosynthesis as it is converted to chemical energy which in turn drives the synthesis of glucose from carbon dioxide and water which are the inorganic substances from which plants make their own food. When light energy strikes the chloroplasts containing chlorophyll, water in the stoma is split into hydrogen and oxygen by the process known as photolysis. Hydrolysis the opposite of photolysis takes place in animals in the process of digestion by breaking food molecules. The green plants are the only agents that provide carbohydrate foods which acts as the basis from which more complex food such as proteins are made by the addition of various elements from the soil. This explanation means that without light being penetrating water, aquatic plants could not survive in water bodies and hence imbalance of nature. WATER HAS SPECIFIC HEAT CAPACITY Specific heat capacity has been explained that ‘the temperature will drop more slowly as heat is removed because of so much heat inputs or heat loss is required to raise or lower the temperature of water.’ (Eckert et al 2000). This statement means that water makes air to have a stable temperature as it absorbs heat from the air which is warm and release heat to the air which is cold. This phenomenon is observed in land and sea breeze. To sum up on the above account, water remains as an important substance as it helps in many different ways in the life of an organism. In other words, it is true to say that no organism can survive without water because water is used in most important reactions and processes in living organisms, hence the statement, ‘water is life.’ REFERENCES Agarwa (1974), Cell Biology, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Evolution and Ecology, Chad and company Ltd, New Delhi. Kent (2000) Advanced Biology, Oxford University Press, China. Maitland (1978), Biology of Fresh Water, Blackie and Sons Ltd, London. Eckert et al (2000), Animal Physiology, U.S.A., London. BIBLIOGRAPHY Peter et al, (1992), Biology Of Plants, Worth Publishers Inc, U.S.A., London. Purves et al (2000), Life, the Science Of Biology, Sinaver Associate Inc, London. Smith et al (2006), Elements of Ecology, Benjamin Cumming, U.S.A. London.

Social Norm Paper

Erika Lamberson Mrs. DeRoussell Psychology April 9, 2013 Social Norms P1. To be accepted by society people have to follow the norm. When you step outside of the mainstream you are considered â€Å"different† no matter how right you are. That’s why when someone starts a movement people are against him, until enough people start do it his way and â€Å"it becomes the norm†. It is also called trying to fit in because if you do something out of the norm, you are pretty much an outsider. People get others to do things out of the norm every day, it just goes unnoticed.Most of the time people don’t do it in public because it isn’t something they want to draw attention to. I am choosing to violate the social norm of going through a drive-thru forwards in a vehicle. I am doing this to find out what kind of reactions I get when I do something out of the ‘social norm’. Going through the drive-thru backwards, whether it is at a fast food place or a bank is not said to be normal. Normally, people pull up to the window with their vehicle facing forward. When I do this social norm violation, I expect to get a lot of responses.This experiment will be very hard for me to do considering I will have to drive my vehicle in reverse. I predict that the responses will be to get weird looks or possibly laughed at. People don’t normally see someone coming through a drive-thru with their car faced backwards. Not only is it not normal, it can also be dangerous and embarrassing. My only concerns about completing this experiment are that I get it done safely without hurting myself, my vehicle, or anyone else for that matter. Since I will have to go through the drive-thru backwards, this is going to be a challenge.I will have to watch out of every mirror I have and also pay attention to the people behind me. P2. My plan to complete this social norm experiment is to go through the drive-thru at two different restaurants. The first one wi ll be at a place called Taco Bell. The second will be at Burger King. This will be difficult because I have never gone through a drive-thru in reverse. I will order at the ordering station, and then pull up to the window, pay for my food, receive my food, all while driving in reverse. I will be observing the way the employees and customers act.Depending on how good this experiment goes, they will all understand why I am doing this. P3. The first thing I did when I pulled into Taco Bell was drive to the back of the restaurant and park my truck. I did this so I could make sure that there weren’t going to be a lot of people going through the drive-thru. The time of night is around 9 at this point, so there weren’t a lot of people out. I started to back up and go to the ordering station. The first curve to the ordering station is a little sharp so of course I had trouble while trying to drive in reverse.I had my boyfriend with me so he could help observe and order for me. After I got to the ordering station a car pulled up next in line. I couldn’t really see the look on their faces because their headlights were shining right in my eyes. The employee takes our order and we proceed to drive to the window. When we get to the window, the look on the girls face was priceless. When we received our food, we continued to drive backwards like nothing was wrong. Then came the hardest part of the experiment at Taco Bell, pulling back out onto the main road in reverse.My boyfriend and I made sure that no one was coming from either way just to keep from causing a wreck. I had to quickly pull out onto the main road and turn around as fast as possible. The second restaurant I did the social norms experiment at was Burger King. This place is never very busy so I decided I would go around lunch time. I also had my boyfriend do this one with me. It was around 1 PM on a rainy Saturday. The drive-thru of Burger King was way easier than Taco Bell because it is a l ot wider and doesn’t have a sharp turn. I came to the ordering station and my boyfriend began to order our food.By the time we got to the window to pay for our food, there were 3 people standing there wondering what in the world we were doing. I explained to them why I was driving backwards, and they agreed that they thought it was a fun idea. After we got our food, they laughed and started talking about how they had always seen on the internet someone driving through a drive-thru backwards but hadn’t ever seen it in person. P4. The responses I got were very different at both places. I am not sure if it was because of the employees working or if it was just the time of the day that I went.The people at Taco Bell didn’t really have that much of a reaction. I got the hint that they just thought I was a stupid teenager that was trying to be cool. I did see one person in the back cooking that laughed and gave me a thumbs up. At Burger King they were so much more int erested in what I was doing than anything else. They all gathered at the window and were laughing and carrying on and asking me all sorts of questions. I think I had very different reactions because it was late at night for Taco Bell and all the employees just wanted to go home. P5.The experience of violating a social norm was definitely thrilling. I don’t think I would have ever thought to do something like this without the realization of how important ‘social norms’ are. The experiment left me with more knowledge about how important social norms are to people. To go against a social norm is looked down on most of the time. I was really great to go out and do the opposite and see what the reactions were. Even though you don’t get a good reaction, another place may laugh with you. You should never be too embarrassed to try something out of the norm.

Food Addictions Essay

Food nourishes us and helps to create our bodies. However, certain substances that we eat as â€Å"food† can cause dysfunction within us and ultimately contribute to the destruction of our bodies. Although every seven years each cell in the body is completely new, we may still crave junk foods that seem to call to us with their sweet, salty, greasy temptations. It can be difficult to ignore theses naughty longings and make healthy choices about the good, more balanced nutrition that our bodies need. Why is it that we so easily give in to cravings for these sweet, savory, spicy junk foods—and soon after eating them, want more? This can be a challenging question, but is worth investigating. Along with the question of why do we like them so much is what can we do about it? The food group I am addicted to eating, yet later regret is sweets. In this paper I will discuss my cravings and how I can address them. The desire for sweets is unstoppable therefor my cravings never seem satisfied. Sweet foods and desserts saturate my taste buds with creamy, sugary, dainty, delicious, and overwhelming flavor. It could be the simple beauty and enticement of streusel cinnamon coating the top of fluffy donuts, muffins, and cakes which initiates the desire. Or it may be the hundreds of delicious, complicated layers that make up pastries, from tasty fruit-filled turnovers to chocolate ganache-filled croissants. My mouth waters over the thought of sensual custards, such as rich creme brulee. The delight of breaking the rigid layer of crystallized sugar with a spoon is like unwrapping a gift and reveals the silky smooth lavender vanilla bottom. Such tantalizing actions enrich the sensory consumption experience. The heady aroma and succulent taste only heighten the pleasure. Although my body feels expansive and â€Å"high† with the sugar and the rush of dopamine, I know that sugar has more negative, long-lasting physical and mental effects on my body than the temporary good feelings released from the sugar. When eating expansive foods, like ones that contain high doses of sugar, I almost experience a euphoric feeling. At the very least, an instant temporary satisfaction is a guaranteed. However, when taste buds are overwhelmed with intense sugary flavors, after the first few bites, they are unable to detect much else. Too much sugar actually desensitizes your taste buds. This is one of many costs of instant sugar gratification. Sweets interest me since they are something I don’t like to live without. Research tells us that sugar can be quite harmful in unnecessary amounts, yet it is my greatest addiction and driver of my desires. Due to this glaring contradiction, this addiction teaches me about myself, my cravings and temptations, my healthiness and my unhealthiness. Even after learning of the negative consequences of over-indulging in this habit, it is still often hard for me to moderate my behavior and make healthier food choices. This is what life is about: learning about yourself and the world around you, learning about your strengths and weaknesses, identifying the things you need to sacrifice for a better life and the importance of â€Å"quality over quantity† and â€Å"delayed gratification†. If I can overcome my cravings, by changing processed sugar for natural sweeteners, it will be my greatest accomplishment. For if I can change my own life and eating habits, I believe I can truly help other people in this world. Though sugars effects on my moods, body, and mind are revolutionary to me, unhealthy cravings are now a major focus in my culinary career. I plan to help educate people on health and wellness, how good nutrition can enrich lives.

Woman Hollering Creek Dreams and Reality Essay - 775 Words

â€Å"Such a funny name for a creek so pretty and full of happily ever after† (Cisneros,1991, p.248).The story â€Å"Woman Hollering Creek by Sandra Cisneros described the lives of Mexicans in a Chicago neighborhood. She depicts the life that women endure as Latino wives through her portrayal of the protagonist—Cleofilas. Cisneros, a Mexican-American, has given Cisneros a chance to see life from two different cultures. Cisneros wrote the story from a woman’s perspective, demonstrating the types of conflicts many women face as Latino wives. At the beginning of the story, the protagonist, Cleofilas, had an illusion that all romance is like the ones she had seen on television. However, she soon realizes that her relationship with Juan Pedro was†¦show more content†¦However, as the story progresses, Cleofilas starts to endure her husband’s abuse. The first time Juan Pedro hits her, she is too surprised to even shed a tear or try to defend herself. Cisneros wanted to address domestic violence because many women feel helpless when they are in controlling and abusive circumstances. Moreover, a controlling and abusive relationship causes a great deal of tension and unhappiness, which Cleofilas experiences throughout the story. Cleofilas feels that she could not do much, but becomes hopeful about her situation. For instance, Cleofilas has to remind herself why she loves her husband when she is changing the baby’s Pampers, or when she is mopping the bathroom floor, etc. (Cisneros,1991, p.249). Cisneros emphasizes that many women who are controlled and abused often feel that they need to remind themselves why they married their husbands. Cisneros points out that when you love someone you should not have to ask yourself why, or worry so much about getting hurt. Another important issue that Cisneros addresses is gender roles in the Latino community. 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