Six Properties of Water

Mnemonic

(CAHELU)

adhesion (benefit)

Helps plants transfer water from their roots to their leaves

high specific heat (benefit)

Helps to regulate cell temperatures

cohesion (meaning)

Makes water molecules stick together, causing surface tension

evaporative cooling (meaning)

Reduction in temperature resulting from the evaporation of water from a surface

cohesion (benefit)

Surface tensions allow for some organisms to keep from sinking, such as a spider

adhesion (meaning)

The attraction of water molecules to other substances

universal solvent (meaning)

The substance that is present in the greatest amounts that dissolves numbers of other substances

high specific heat (meaning)

The water resists changes in temperature

evaporative cooling (benefit)

This is the principle of sweating, or the self-cooling system

universal solvent (benefit)

allows for vitamins to enter the body for humans through drinking water and most metabolic reactions occur in aqueous solutions.

List the Six Properties of Water

cohesion, adhesion, high specific heat, evaporative cooling, lower density as solid, universal solvent

lower density as a solid (benefit)

insulating factor for pond creatures

lower density as a solid (meaning)

when water becomes ice, it has a lower density