Biology HL
Biology HL
4
Chapters
553
Notes
Theme A - Unity & diversity
Theme A - Unity & diversity
Theme B - Form & Function
Theme B - Form & Function
Theme C - Interaction &  Interdependence
Theme C - Interaction & Interdependence
Theme D - Continuity & Change
Theme D - Continuity & Change
IB Resources
Theme A - Unity & diversity
Biology HL
Biology HL

Theme A - Unity & diversity

Explore Water's Unique Properties & Their Impact on Aquatic Life

Word Count Emoji
642 words
Reading Time Emoji
4 mins read
Updated at Emoji
Last edited on 14th Jun 2024

Table of content

Hello, budding biologists! Let's dive deep into the world of aquatic habitats. There's a lot to learn about the physical properties of water and how it impacts the lives of our aquatic friends. Ready? Let's go!

Buoyancy - life's life jacket ⛵

Think about when you're swimming. Why don't you just sink to the bottom? It's thanks to a super cool thing called buoyancy. When something is in a fluid (like water), the fluid pushes up on it. If this force is stronger than gravity, you float! If not, you sink (sorry, heavy rocks!). This is all about density: objects less dense than water float, denser objects sink.

 

This is great for aquatic animals. Their bodies are about the same density as water, which means they don't have to use much energy to stay afloat. Fish even have an air-filled swim bladder to control their density! Isn't that neat?

 

Just remember: air doesn't give much buoyancy, so animals like birds have to work harder to stay aloft.

Viscosity - nature's syrup 🍯

Ever try running in a pool? It's much harder than running on land because water is "stickier" than air. This "stickiness" is what we call viscosity. The higher the viscosity, the greater the friction and resistance to flow.

 

Sea creatures feel this too. Imagine them like they're always moving in slow-mo! Plus, the viscosity of seawater is even higher than freshwater, thanks to all those dissolved salts. Water's viscosity is about 50 times greater than air's at the same temperature. So it's much easier for a bird to fly through the air than a fish to swim in water!

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IB Resources
Theme A - Unity & diversity
Biology HL
Biology HL

Theme A - Unity & diversity

Explore Water's Unique Properties & Their Impact on Aquatic Life

Word Count Emoji
642 words
Reading Time Emoji
4 mins read
Updated at Emoji
Last edited on 14th Jun 2024

Table of content

Hello, budding biologists! Let's dive deep into the world of aquatic habitats. There's a lot to learn about the physical properties of water and how it impacts the lives of our aquatic friends. Ready? Let's go!

Buoyancy - life's life jacket ⛵

Think about when you're swimming. Why don't you just sink to the bottom? It's thanks to a super cool thing called buoyancy. When something is in a fluid (like water), the fluid pushes up on it. If this force is stronger than gravity, you float! If not, you sink (sorry, heavy rocks!). This is all about density: objects less dense than water float, denser objects sink.

 

This is great for aquatic animals. Their bodies are about the same density as water, which means they don't have to use much energy to stay afloat. Fish even have an air-filled swim bladder to control their density! Isn't that neat?

 

Just remember: air doesn't give much buoyancy, so animals like birds have to work harder to stay aloft.

Viscosity - nature's syrup 🍯

Ever try running in a pool? It's much harder than running on land because water is "stickier" than air. This "stickiness" is what we call viscosity. The higher the viscosity, the greater the friction and resistance to flow.

 

Sea creatures feel this too. Imagine them like they're always moving in slow-mo! Plus, the viscosity of seawater is even higher than freshwater, thanks to all those dissolved salts. Water's viscosity is about 50 times greater than air's at the same temperature. So it's much easier for a bird to fly through the air than a fish to swim in water!

Unlock the Full Content! File Is Locked Emoji

Dive deeper and gain exclusive access to premium files of Biology HL. Subscribe now and get closer to that 45 🌟