CHAPTER 2 (3)

• MAKE SURE YOU KNOW HOW TO CALCULATE THE ML OF BIOCHEMICAL WATER PRODUCED FROM THE OXIDATION OF KNOWN AMOUNDS OF CARBOHYDRATES AND FATS
• Ionization of water


  • OH bonds are polar and can dissociate heterolytically
  • Products are a proton (H+) and a hydroxide ion (OH-)
  • Dissociation of water is a rapid reversible process
  • Most water molecules remain un-ionised, thus pure water has very low electrical conductivity (resistance: 18MΩ ∙ 𝑐𝑚)
  • The equilibrium is strongly to the left (low Keq)
  • The extent of dissociation depends on the temperature
• Proton hydration


  • Protons do not exist free in solution
  • They are immediately hydrated to form hydronium ions (H3O+)
  • A hydronium ion is a water molecule with a proton associated with one of the nonbonding electron pairs
  • Hydronium ions are solvated by nearby water molecules
  • The covalent and hydrogen bonds are interchangeable. This allows for an extremely fast mobility of protons in water via "proton hopping"