BIO-8 Lecture Notes - Lecture 26: Habitat Destruction, Overexploitation, Boiling Point
Document Summary
The rapid growth of the human population during the past two centuries has increased human influence on ecological systems, particularly as the result of resources they consume and waste products they release. When water contains dissolved compounds (salts), its freezing temp drops below. 0 degrees c and raises the boiling point above 100 degrees c. This is why road salts are applied to ice- and snow-covered roads; the salts allow the ice and snow to melt at a lower temperature than they otherwise would. Water has a high specific heat - energy required to raise the temperature by 1 degrees c. Helps prevent water bodies from freezing solid during the winter. Water is at its highest density at 4 degrees c. Ice is less dense than liquid water, so it floats. Lower layers of lakes/ponds typically ice-free in winter. Some tissues are more dense than water (e. g. bone); some are less dense (e. g. fats)
