Question

Think how you interacted with water today. Where did that water come from? Where did it go next? Write a story that traces the water molecule’s trip.

Answer 1

The water molecule I interacted with today came from the tap in my kitchen. I used it to make coffee and then to brush my teeth. After that, I poured the water down the drain. The water molecule then traveled through the sewer system and eventually made its way to a wastewater treatment plant. At the treatment plant, the water molecule was filtered and disinfected before being released back into the environment. The water molecule then evaporated from the ground and returned to the atmosphere. From there, it was carried by the wind until it fell as rain. The rain water collected in rivers and streams and eventually made its way back to my tap. The water molecule I interacted with today has been on a long journey, but it is now back where it started.

Known Concept(s):

• Water is a transparent, odorless, tasteless liquid, a compound of hydrogen and oxygen, H2O, freezing at 32°F or 0°C and boiling at 212°F or 100°C, that in more or less impure state constitutes rain, oceans, lakes, rivers, etc.: it contains 11.188 percent hydrogen and 88.812 percent oxygen, by weight.
• Rain is water that is condense from the aqueous vapor in the atmosphere and falls to earth in drops more than 1/50 inch (0.5 mm) in diameter.
• Ocean is the vast body of salt water that covers almost three fourths of the earth's surface.
• River is a natural stream of water of fairly large size flowing in a definite course or channel or series of diverging and converging channels.
• Hydrogen is a colorless, odorless, flammable gas that combines chemically with oxygen to form water: the lightest of the known elements. Symbol: H; atomic weight: 1.00797; atomic number : 1, density 0.0899 g/1 at 0°C and 760mm pressure.
• Oxygen is a colorless, odorless, gaseous element constituting about one-fifth of the volume of the atmosphere and present in a combined state in nature. it is the supporter of combustion in air and was the standard of atomic, combining, and molecular weights until 1961, when carbon 12 became the new standard. Symbol: O; atomic weight: 15.9994; atomic number: 8; density: 1.4290 g/1 at 0°C and 760mm pressure.

Thanks.

Answer 2

The water cycle is often taught as a simple circular cycle of evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. Although this can be a useful model, the reality is much more complicated. The paths and influences of water through Earth’s ecosystems are extremely complex and not completely understood. NOAA is striving to expand understanding of the water cycle at global to local scales to improve our ability to forecast weather, climate, water resources, and ecosystem health.

Step-by-step explanation:

The water cycle shows the continuous movement of water within the Earth and atmosphere. It is a complex system that includes many different processes. Liquid water evaporates into water vapor, condenses to form clouds, and precipitates back to earth in the form of rain and snow. Water in different phases moves through the atmosphere (transportation). Liquid water flows across land (runoff), into the ground (infiltration and percolation), and through the ground (groundwater). Groundwater moves into plants (plant uptake) and evaporates from plants into the atmosphere (transpiration). Solid ice and snow can turn directly into gas (sublimation). The opposite can also take place when water vapor becomes solid (deposition).