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Distribution and Properties of Water

Water makes up about 71% of the Earth's surface and 97% of that is found in oceans. The unique properties of water are crucial for sustaining life on Earth. A water molecule is made of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom arranged in a V-shape, giving water polar properties. These properties include high heat capacity, ability to dissolve substances, adhesion, cohesion, specific density and surface tension - all of which contribute to water's role in nature and allow life to exist.

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163 views

Distribution and Properties of Water

Water makes up about 71% of the Earth's surface and 97% of that is found in oceans. The unique properties of water are crucial for sustaining life on Earth. A water molecule is made of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom arranged in a V-shape, giving water polar properties. These properties include high heat capacity, ability to dissolve substances, adhesion, cohesion, specific density and surface tension - all of which contribute to water's role in nature and allow life to exist.

Uploaded by

alfred deasis
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Distribution and Properties of Water

● Water
○ A colorless, transparent, odorless, liquid that forms the seas, lakes, rivers,
and rain and is the basis of the fluids of living organisms.
○ About 71% of the earth is made up of water while the remaining 29% is
made up of different landforms.
○ Almost 97% of the earth's water is found in the oceans while the rest of
3% is distributed to groundwater, glacier and atmospheric water.
○ The location where the masses of water is stored up is called a reservoir.
○ The amount of the water that can be used by man is only about 3% of the
total amount of the water in the planet, and off that amount only 31% of
portable water is for human consumption.

● A water molecule is a composed of one oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms
which is arranged in V-shaped like formation.
○ It has a slightly negative charge at the oxygen end and a slight positive
charge at the hydrogen end, making it a polar molecule with end poles
behaving like a magnet
○ This attraction of water molecules gives its unique properties such as
rising in capillary tubes, plant roots, and blood vessels against gravity
possible.

● Water also has a high heat capacity that enables the water of the oceans to
affect the earth's temperature in gradual manner.
● Water is an important solvent and its properties like its adhesion, cohesion,
density, and surface tension all contribute to make life possible and sustainable
and our planet .

Properties of Water

● High capacity heat - the amount of the heat needed to raise the temperature of 1
gram of water is higher compared to other substances. This allows the
temperature of water to rise gradually and not too abrupt.
● Solvent - the ability of the water to dissolve substances.
● Adhesion - the tendency of water to stick to other substances.
● Cohesion - the attraction force between water molecules.
● Density - the quantity per unit volume. Helps water to float when it freezes.
● Surface tension - the force that acts on the molecules at the surface of a material
that helps things float.
● Capillary action - the combined force of adhesion and cohesion among water
molecules that allows movement in plant stems against gravity.

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