6. How and why are the unique properties of water important for life on Earth?

Answer 1

The reason the unique property [of water in solid form (ice) being less dense than it's liquid form] is important to life is that liquid water under the ice allows for life to exist in the ocean/seas. In other words, if ice were denser than liquid water, it would start freezing at the bottom of a body of water and eventually freeze solid (the insulating effect of ice ON TOP of water helps to prevent the formation of a solid mass of ice). Life would not be able to exist in the solid block of ice, but CAN exist UNDER the ice, in the liquid water.

Most solid forms of a substance are more dense than their liquid forms, but not water.

Answer 2

Ice lighter than water is unique. If it weren't so, the oceans wouldn't be frozen over unless the entire ocean was frozen first, since the ice would fall to the bottom of the ocean.

If water wasn't so polar, it would only occur at room temperature as a vapor and would freeze at some temperaute around -150 C or so. Then, life would have not developed on earth in a liquid medium, since there would have not been one for it to develop in.

Answer 3

Density of water (4 C Max) increases before it freezes and sinks. allows ice to float at surface and not freeze whole body of water.

Water is an good solvent, organisms that have internal chemistry use substances dissolved in water for chemical reactions. Take in chemical energy and release out.

Water flows easily. Movement of chemicals and life