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Water Properties

URL: http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/waterproperties.html
ncs-NSDL-COLLECTION-000-003-112-021|ncs-NSDL-COLLECTION-000-003-112-012|1007936
Simple description of the chemical and physical properties of water produced by the U.S. Geological Survey.

Summary

Subject keyword(s)Chemical properties, Chemistry, Compounds, Earth's water, Earth and space science, Ecology, Forestry and Agriculture, Freshwater, Geoscience, Hydrogen bonds, Molecular geometry, Molecules, Physical properties, Physical science, Properties of materials, Science, Science -- Geology, States of matter, Structure of matter
Grade levelElementary School, Middle School, High School, Higher Education, Informal Education, Vocational/Professional Development Education
Intended audienceEducator, Learner
Resource typeAudio/Visual, Instructional Material, Reference Material, Text
Resource formatimage, image/gif, text, text/html
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AMSER: Applied Math and Science Education RepositoryScience RefreshMSP2: Math and Science Pathways

Content contained within the resource

USGS Home Contact USGS Search USGS Water Science for Schools Search Links Glossary Site map Help Contact  Home  Water basics   Earth's water   Water properties   Water cycle   Special topics   Water use   Activity center   Q&A   Photos    Random page  Back to previous page Learn More Water properties Water properties The universal solvent True/False quiz Color Capillary action Cohesion and adhesion Compressibility Density and weight Dissolved oxygen Electrical conductivity Hardness Heat capacity Meniscus pH Rainbows Sediment Specific conductance Surface tension Temperature Turbidity Vapor pressure Water Properties Facts and Figures About Water Some of water's physical properties: Weight: 62.416 pounds/cubic foot at 32°F; 1,000 kilograms/cubic meter Weight: 61.998 pounds/cubic foot at 100°F; 1,007 kilograms/cubic meter Weight: 8.33 pounds/gallon; 1 kilogram/liter Density: 1 gram/cubic centimeter (cc) at 39.2°F, 0.95865 gram/cc at 212°F Some water volume comparisons: 1 gallon = 4 quarts = 8 pints = 128 fluid ounces = 3.7854 liters 1 liter = 0.2642 gallons = 1.0568 quart 1 million gallons = 3.069 acre-feet = 133,685.64 cubic feet Flow rates: 1 cubic foot/second (cfs) = 449 gallons/minute = 0.646 million gallons/day = 1.98 acre-feet/day Water is unique in that it is the only natural substance that is found in all three physical states—liquid, solid, and gas—at the temperatures normally found on Earth. Pure water (which you never really find in nature) is essentially clear in color. By "essentially" I mean that water does have a slight blue color to it, due to the way water scatters light. Water freezes at 32° Fahrenheit (F) and boils at 212°F (at sea level, but 186.4° at 14,000 feet). Water is unusual in that the solid form, ice, is less dense than the liquid form. Thus, ice floats. Water is called the "universal solvent" because it dissolves more substances than any other liquid. This means that wherever water goes, either through the ground or through our bodies, it takes along valuable chemicals, minerals, and nutrients. Pure water has a neutral pH of 7, which is neither acidic (<7) nor basic (>7). The water molecule is highly cohesive—it is very sticky. Water is the most cohesive among the non-metallic liquids. Pure water does not conduct electricity. Water becomes a conductor once it starts dissolving substances around it. Water has a high specific heat index—it absorbs a lot of heat before it begins to get hot. This is why water is valuable to industries and in your car's radiator as a coolant. The high specific heat index of water also helps regulate the rate at which air changes temperature, which is why the temperature change between seasons is gradual rather than sudden, especially near the oceans. Water has a very high surface tension. In other words, water is sticky and elastic, and tends to clump together in drops rather than spread out in a thin film, like rubbing alcohol. Surface tension is responsible for capillary action, which allows water (and its dissolved substances) to move through the roots of plants and through the tiny blood vessels in our bodies. The relative high density of water allows sound to move through it long distances (ask a whale!). In sea water at 30°C, sound has a velocity of 1,545 meters per second (about 3,500 miles per hour). Air pressure affects the boiling point of water, which is why it takes longer to boil an egg at Denver, Colorado than at the beach. At higher altitudes the air pressure is lower, which means that the boiling point of water is lower. Thus, it takes longer to hard-boil an egg. At sea level water boils at 212°F (100°C), while at 5,000 feet, water boils at 202.9°F (94.9 °C). Accessibility FOIA Privacy Policies and Notices U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey URL: http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/waterproperties.html Page Contact Information: Howard Perlman Page Last Modified: Friday, 03-Feb-2012 09:31:14 EST