WHY STUDY WATER ???

Water

You will be able to explain how and why water is so important to life on

Earth.

You will understand and explain the properties which water possesses that

enables life to exist and where we find water.

Activation Questions How are trees plants able to “pump” water to the top,

without having a heart or pump to move the water?

How is water different from other compounds as Carbon-dioxide, Methane, and Ammonia?

How will knowing this make you change your attitude regarding Earth’s cleanliness?

4 Main Benefits of water on Earth

Thermal Stress ProtectorUV ProtectionFood /Nutrient SupplierProtection from gravity

Thermal Stress ProtectorTemperature differences between night and day

and seasons, differ little in water as compared to land environments

Water in day absorbs sunlight, thus preventing Earth from getting too warm

Night releases heat preventing Earth from getting too cold

This action creates wind and weather patterns as well which distributes water on land.

UV ProtectionWater absorbs DEADLY UV

RADIATIONRefracts UV light into harmless

“blue” that we commonly associate with the Ocean

UV radiation can kill cells and destroy DNA the “molecule of life”

Food/Nutrient Supplier

All food and nutrient items necessary for life can be dissolved in water, thus making it easy for simple animals to get needed nourishment from just floating in water

More advanced animals still use water based circulation systems to carry nutrients to their cells

Food also can be provided in 3 dimensions allowing for easy capture

Protection from Gravity

Animals in water are neutrally buoyant No gravity affects them—no need for strong

muscles or bones Gravity effects extremely limited which also

allows animals to achieve massive sizes that could not exist on land

Where is the water Earth is considered a hydrosphere or planet

composed of water Water makes up for 98% of all inhabitable places

on Earth to live!!

Facts:

71% of Earth is covered by water 29% Terrestrial Surface

3% of water is Fresh 97% of all water is salt water

Fresh Water Distribution

76%

23%1% Polar Ice Caps

Groundwater

All Rivers andlakes

Water in Ice caps completely frozen all year round

Making ground water the

largest supplier of the world’s FRESH WATER!

3 STATES of WATER

Solid- Ice, snow, sleet, glaciers, icebergs, ice caps Liquid- Water, rain, oceans, seas, lakes, rivers,

groundwater Gas- Water Vapor, steam, clouds WATER IS A UNIQUE COMPOUND IN THAT

IT IS COMMONLY FOUND IN ALL 3 STATES OF MATTER.

4 UNINQE PROPERTIES UNIVERSAL SOLVENT- can dissolve most anything :

SOLUTE –Thing that’s dissolved (salt) SOLVENT- Does the dissolving (water)

EXPANDS WHEN FROZEN (ice floats) SURFACE TENSION- Water molecules“stick” together, CAPILLARY ACTION- Water defies gravity as polar

charges allow water to move up through items

Review

4 Benefits Earth gets from water? 4 Unique traits of water? How is water distributed on Earth? How would life on Earth CHANGE if more or less

water was in its liquid state? How does knowing this information CHANGE

your opinion on water?