1. Unique Properties of Water
Mrs. McAven 8th Grade Science Riverwood Middle School

2. VOGO Side 1 WORD Definition Side 2 Example/Sentence Picture Words:
Where can I find these words? Chapter 2 (pg. 44)
Words:
Adhesion
Buoyancy
Capillary Action
Cohesion
Density
Polarity
Specific Heat
Surface Tension
Universal Solvent

3. ADHESION
Definition:
the ability of water molecules to attract to other substances.
Because water molecules are polar (having one positive end and one negative end) they attract other substances.
Example:
raindrops sticking to a window or glass
water sticking to paper towel

4. BUOYANCY Definition: the ability of an object to float in water.
Example:
floating in the ocean or a pool
a boat

5. CAPILLARY ACTION Definition:
the process that moves water through a narrow porous space
Example:
water moving up a straw
water moving up a plant stem

6. COHESION
Definition:
the ability of water molecules to attract towards each other.
Because water molecules are polar (having one positive end and one negative end), they attract each other.
Example:
water “dome”
rain drops

7. DENSITY Definition: the measure of mass of a substance per unit volume
Example:
ice floating on water

8. POLARITY
Definition:
when one molecule has opposite charges on each of its ends (one end is slightly positive, the other end is slightly negative).
Example:
Water (H2O) is a polar molecule because its hydrogen end is slightly positive and its oxygen end is slightly negative.

9. SPECIFIC HEAT
The amount of energy it takes to raise the temperature of a substance by one degree Celsius
Water has a very high specific heat.
This means that compared to other substances, it takes a big change in energy to change the temperature of water.
Example: The ocean does not drastically change temp.

10. SURFACE TENSION Definition:
the force that acts on the particles at the surface of a material
Example:
Water striders (bugs)
painful belly flop

11. UNIVERSAL SOLVENT Water is called the “universal solvent” Definition:
this means that water can dissolve more things than any other substance.
Example:
water can dissolve: soap, sugar, salt, toothpaste, baking soda, etc.