Post Lab Questions

1. How does water rise from the roots of a redwood tree to the very top?

1. Capillary action. The smaller the tube, the higher water can climb inside it. The microscopic tubes in wood can allow water to climb many meters without having to use any kind of pump.

2. How do insects walk on water?

2. They are small enough to be supported by the surface tension of water. This happens because of the way water molecules stick to each other.

3. Why does ice float rather than sink?

3. Because ice is less dense than liquid water 3. Because ice is less dense than liquid water. This happens because of the way that water molecules stick to each other at low temperatures.

4. Why do people become seriously ill, or die, if they go without liquid for a week or so?

4. All of the chemistry of life happens in water 4. All of the chemistry of life happens in water. Without chemical reactions, life simply stops.

5. How would life in a lake be affected if ice sank and lakes froze from the bottom up?

5. Ice insulates the water below and allows living things to survive through the winter. If water froze from the bottom up, life could not survive in cold places.