Here you will find interesting facts about water.
Water is vital. We need water to stay alive.
- There is the same amount of water on Earth as there was when the Earth was formed. The water from your faucet could contain molecules that dinosaurs drank.
- Water is composed of two elements, Hydrogen and Oxygen. 2 Hydrogen + 1 Oxygen = H2O.
- Nearly 97% of the world’s water is salty and undrinkable. Another 2% is locked in ice caps and glaciers. That leaves just 1% for all of humanity’s needs — all its agricultural, residential, manufacturing, community, and personal needs.
- Water regulates the Earth’s temperature. It also regulates the temperature of the human body, carries nutrients and oxygen to cells, cushions joints, protects organs and tissues, and removes wastes.
- 75% of the human brain is water and 75% of a living tree is water.
- A person can live about a month without food, but only about a week without water.
- Water is part of a deeply interconnected system. What we pour on the ground ends up in our water, and what we spew into the sky ends up in our water.
- Water expands by 9% when it freezes. Frozen water (ice) is lighter than water, which is why ice floats in water.
- The existence of water is essential for life on Earth.
- Water has three different states, liquid, solid and gas.
- The word water usually refers to water in its liquid state. The solid state of water is known as ice while the gas state of water is known as steam or water vapor.
- Water covers around 70% of the Earth’s surface.
- The three largest oceans on Earth are the Pacific Ocean (largest), the Atlantic Ocean (second largest) and the Indian Ocean (third largest).
- Found in the Pacific Ocean, the Mariana Trench is the deepest known point in the world’s oceans.
- Ocean tides are caused by the rotation of the Earth and the gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun acting on ocean water.
- Water from a sea or ocean is known as seawater. On average, every kilogram (2.2lb) of seawater contains around 35 grams (1.2 oz) of dissolved salt.
- The freezing point of water lowers as the amount of salt dissolved in at increases. With average levels of salt, seawater freezes at -2 °C (28.4 °F).
- The longest river in the world is the Nile River, it reaches 6650 kilometers in length (4132 miles).
- The second longest river in the world is the Amazon River, it reaches 6400 kilometres (4000 miles) in length.
- Water makes a good solvent with sugar, salt and acids easily dissolving in it. On the other hand oils and fats don’t mix well with water.
- The water cycle involves water evaporating (turning into a gas), rising to the sky, cooling and condensing into tiny drops of water or ice crystals that we see as clouds, falling back to Earth as rain, snow or hail before evaporating again and continuing the cycle.
- Water in the form of ice is found at the polar ice caps of the planet Mars, some scientists have also suggested the possibility of liquid water on the red planet.
- Pure water has no smell and no taste, it also has a pH level around 7.
- While most people know that water boils at 100 °C (212 °F), this is at the normal conditions of sea level. The boiling point of water actually changes relative to the barometric pressure. For example, water boils at just 68 °C (154 °F) on the top of Mount Everest while water deep in the ocean near geothermal vents can remain in liquid form at temperatures much higher than 100 °C (212 °F).
- Water expands as it cools from 4 °C to 0 °C (above 4 °C it does the opposite). In freezing conditions, water has been known to burst water pipes as it freezes to ice.
- Water can move up narrow tubes against the force of gravity in what is known as capillary action.
- Most people around the world have access to clean drinking water but it is a major problem in poorer areas of the world. Water pollution and low quality water can lead to dangerous bacteria.
- Drinking water is needed for humans to avoid dehydration, the amount you need each day depends on the temperature, how much activity you are involved in and other factors.
- An important use for water is in agricultural irrigation, this is when water is artificially added to soil in order to assist the growth of crops.
- Water is used frequently by firefighters to extinguish fires. Helicopters sometimes drop large amount of water on wildfires and bushfires to stop fires spreading and limit the damage they can cause.
- The water industry helps deliver water to homes in various cities and countries around the world. This can involve services such as purification, sewage treatment, filtering, distillation and plumbing.
- Electricity can be created from hydropower, a process that uses water to drive water turbines connected to generators. There are many hydroelectric power stations around the world.
- Water also plays a role in cooking. Steaming and boiling food are well known cooking methods. You may have noticed this last time you made pasta or noodles.
- Water is also used for fun. Water sports are a very popular recreational activity and include things like swimming, surfing and waterskiing. Ice and snow is also used in ice skating, ice hockey, skiing and snowboarding.
Did you like interesting facts about water? Leave your comment!
Sources: www.sciencekids.co.nz; www3.epa.gov
I think it is interesting information for kids because students of 9-11 grades already know it. But for me it was interesting to know that water can move up narrow tubes against the force of gravity.
I agree that all people should have clean water so we need to find an efficient way to desalinate water.
Drinking water is very important because if we stop drinking water we can die. At school we studied a lot of information that I read in this post but I read there something new for me. I’ve never known that water which I drink could contain molecules that dinosaurs drank. I agree that people should take care of water. Water supplies are not endless, as I read in the post we can drink only 1% of all water on Earth.
These are very interesting facts about water. Thank you, Irina.
I didn’t know that there were so many amazing facts about water. It was strange and unexpected to learn that only one percent of the water on our planet is fit for consumption. Some facts were familiar to me and some were quite new.
I’m happy, that almost all the facts I’ve known before. The post is worth reading, and all children should read it to increase their knowledge. Even adults don’t know some of these facts, I’m sure. It was so interesting to read the post!