Chemistre HW - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages In the case of ammonia, the amount of hydrogen bonding is limited by the fact that each nitrogen only has one lone pair. In a group of ammonia molecules, there arent enough lone pairs to go around to bond with all the hydrogens available. This is why the boiling point of water is higher than that of ammonia.
All known terrestrial life requires water as a solvent. This has led to speculations about whether water is the only liquid capable of maintaining life. The idea that an extraterrestrial life-form might be based on another solvent has gained traction over the years. Ammonia is a classic example. Could life exist on a planet dominated by oceans, lakes, and rivers of ammonia?
Ammonia has some problems as a basis for life. The hydrogen bonds between ammonia molecules are weaker than those in water; this makes ammonias heat of vaporization be less than that of water by half. The surface tension of ammonia reduces to a third of the water.
Ammonia has a lot of the same molecular properties as water that is essential for life on earth. I propose that life may evolve in an ammoniated medium the same way life on Earth grew in a hydrated one. As scientists we are yet to discover ammonia-based life. Therefore we cant discount that ammoniated aliens can or don’t exist. In the absence of absolute evidence, we are tasked to research on this issue more keenly. Even if ammonia-based organisms do not exist by our terrestrial standards, it does not mean that it cannot happen ...Download file to see next pagesRead More