Water is the planet’s most important fluid and plays a significant role in sustaining life on the earth. Almost two-thirds of the earth’s surface is covered by water. Water is a transparent liquid, which makes up the streams, oceans, and lakes on the earth. Water is mainly found in its saline form and is not fit for drinking purposes. 75% of the human body is composed of water and even 90% of human blood is composed of water.
Water is an essential component of all beings. There are various sources of water: rivers, ponds, lakes, and groundwater.
We find water in three different states:
- Solid form as ice
- Liquid form as water
- Gaseous form as water vapour
Even though water offers a wide variety of uses, like drinking, washing, cooking, irrigation and more, our species pollute the water resource up to a stage wherein the water becomes unusable and leading to cases of water scarcity on our planet. Our actions affect more than just our species. Polluted water is a problem for every part of our ecosystem, from plants to animals. Every living being on our planet requires water for their sustenance in one way or the other. While some of us are lucky enough to just open a pipe to get some water, the less fortunate people have to walk kilometres just to get a bucket of water.
Water consists of two atoms of hydrogen combined with an atom of oxygen having the chemical formula H2O.
Properties of Water:
- Water conducts heat more easily than any other liquid.
- Water has high surface tension.
- Water has high specific heat.
- In the visible electromagnetic spectrum, it is a transparent liquid.
- Pure water is colourless and odourless.
- Pure water has minimal electrical conductivity, but increases as ionic materials dissolved in it increase.
Role of water in our lives:
- All living activity is based on water: agriculture, bathing, washing, mopping, cooking and drinking.
- Farmers depend on water for irrigation of their crops.
- Water helps in regulating the temperature of our body, maintaining the ph level of our body and it also acts as a solution for carrying out waste materials through urine.
- Water in our saliva helps us to chew food ensuring that food slides down easily through our throat.
- Drinking large amounts of water decreases the chances of a heart attack.
- Large intake of water boosts the brain functioning by supplying the required amount of oxygen.
- The metabolic rate of the body increases by drinking water in large quantities.
- Sufficient intake of water helps in avoiding dehydration.
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