Water on Earth – Basic Characteristics of Water, Experiment

Introduction to Water on Earth

All around the Earth, there is water.

1. Sea water: Ocean and seawater make up the majority of the water on Earth. Seawater is known as salt water.

2. Freshwater: Rivers, streams, and lakes contain water on the surface of continents. River water flows from high mountains into lakes, oceans, and seas. Fresh water is found in most lakes.

3. Groundwater: Water under the surface of the Earth is known as groundwater. To obtain this water, people build wells.

4. Snow and ice: In wintry weather, water freezes and turns into snow and ice. Large pieces of ice make up glaciers. Glaciers store the fresh water on our planet. Large pieces of ice can sometimes break off and float in the water. These are known as icebergs.

Explanation:

The basic characteristics of water are as follows:

• Water is transparent.
• Water has no shape.
• States of water: solid, liquid, and gas.
• Water has no smell.
• Water has no taste.
• Water acts as a “Universal solvent.”
• Water is colorless. Pure water is transparent.

So, we can easily say that water is pure or impure based on its color.

• Water has no color, but because of sunlight, the seawater looks blue to our eyes. By adding any colors to water, it will take that color.

• Water has no shape, and It takes the form of the container into which it is poured. Water has a fixed volume but no fixed shape.

Experiment

If you have 1 liter of water, then it will remain one liter, no matter in which container you keep it. Hence the volume is the same, but the shape of water takes the shape of the container in which it is filled.

• Water exists in nature in three different states: Solid, liquid, and gaseous forms.

• Liquid water is used for drinking and washing our hands.

• When water freezes into ice, it takes a solid form that is known as the solid state of water.

• Water that is solid can take the shape of snow, ice, and snowflakes.

• The gaseous form of water is in the form of steam or vapor.

• Water is called a “universal solvent” because it can dissolve many substances as compared to other liquids.

Most of the compound is dissolved in water, creating a solution. All three states of matter—solids, liquids, and gases—can be dissolved by water. Hence, water is a universal solvent.