Final answer:
Water is a polar molecule, stabilizes temperature due to its high specific heat capacity, and is essential for life, but it is not the most abundant atom in Earth's atmosphere. A pebble in water creates surface waves, not a pulse wave. Mercury is denser than water, so a cup of mercury would weigh more than a cup of water.
Step-by-step explanation:
The properties of water are fundamental to biology, and assessing whether statements about water are true or false is important for understanding its role in living systems and the environment. Here are the fact checks for the provided statements:
- Water is polar: This statement is true. Water molecules have a slight negative charge near the oxygen atom and a slight positive charge near the hydrogen atoms, making it a polar molecule.
- Water can stabilize the temperature of nearby air: Also true. Due to its high specific heat capacity, water can absorb or release large amounts of heat energy with little change in its own temperature, therefore stabilizing temperatures.
- Water is essential for life: True. All known forms of life need water to survive, as it is a solvent, lubricant, and part of many metabolic processes.
- Water is the most abundant atom in Earth's atmosphere: This statement is false. The correct statement is: 'Water is one of the most abundant molecules in Earth's atmosphere', but the most abundant gas in Earth's atmosphere is nitrogen.
- A pebble dropped in water is an example of a pulse wave: This is false. The correct statement would be: 'A pebble dropped in water generates a series of surface waves, not a single pulse wave'.
- Which has more matter, a cup of water or a cup of mercury: This question relates to density rather than the amount of matter. Mercury is denser than water, so a cup of mercury would weigh more than a cup of water, though they have the same volume.