WATER

A presentation by Kiara Callwood,

Amaka Pickering and Jehmi Thompson
 What is water?
Water is a colourless & odourless, substance found on
earth. It is made up of billions of molecules and
each molecule contains two hydrogen atoms and one
oxygen atom that are held together by strong
covalent bonds.
Water makes up between
60% and 70% of the
human body and covers
71% of the earth’s
surface. Water exists in
three states on earth,
solid (ice), liquid and
gas (vapour or steam).
Pure water ( water that does not
contain any impurities), is a
colourless, tasteless and odourless
liquid that boils at 100°C and freezes
at 0°C. Water molecules are polar,
which means that each molecule has a
side that has a partial positive charge
and a side that has a partial negative
charge.
4
 The partial positive hydrogen atoms and
partial negative oxygen atoms of the water
molecules are attracted to each other. This
attraction forms what is known as the
hydrogen bond. These bonds are usually
stronger than other intermolecular forces
which exist between molecules and this
gives water several unique properties.
 THE MAXIMUM DENSITY OF WATER OCCURS AT 4°C

Density is a measure of how compact a substance is. It is

defined as the mass of a substance divided by its volume.
Density = mass/volume
If the volume of a fixed mass of a substance decreases, its
density increases and when the volume increases, the
density decreases.
 When most liquids are cooled and become solids they
contract. The volume of the solid is less than the
volume of the liquid from which it forms. The solid is
denser than the liquid and if it’s placed in more of the
liquid it sinks.
 This means that the volume of ice is greater than
the volume of the water from which it forms. Solid
ice is less dense than the water from which it
formed and floats on the liquid as it forms. An
example of this would be ice cubes floating on a
drink.

8
In the case of water, when the water is cooled
down to 4°C it contracts and becomes denser,
just like any other liquid. However, if it is
cooled below 4°C, it starts to expand until it
freezes. This means that the volume of ice is
greater than the volume of water from which it
forms.
 Solid ice is less dense than the water
from which it formed and floats on the
liquid as it forms. An example of this
would be ice cubes floating on a drink.

10
 WATER HAS A HIGH SPECIFIC HEAT CAPACITY

Specific heat capacity is the amount of heat needed

to raise the temperature of a unit mass of the
substance. Water has a high specific heat capacity so
it requires a lot of heat energy to increase the
temperature by 1°C. This means that water can absorb
a lot of heat energy without changing its temperature.
 WATER HAS A HIGH HEAT OF VAPORIzATION

The heat of vaporization is the amount of heat energy

required to change a liquid to a gas. A lot of heat energy
is required to change a liquid to a gas due to the hydrogen
bonds between water molecules. Because water has a high
heat of vaporization, when water evaporates from the
surface of a living organism, it removes a large amount of
heat energy from said organism, This is why sweating is a
very effective cooling method.
WATER HAS A RELATIVELY HIGH MELTING POINT AND BOILING POINT

The melting point of ice and the boiling point of water

are much higher than other molecules of a similar size
due to the hydrogen bonds between the molecules.
Water exists as a liquid between 0°C and 100°C, which
means that most water is at a liquid state due to the
Earth’s temperature.
Water dissolves a large number of solvents
Water is referred to as a ’universal
solvent’ because it dissolves a large
number of substance. Water can
dissolve both ionic and polar
covalent substances.
 Water dissolves a large number of solvents
● Water dissolves chemicals so that chemical reactions
can take place. E.g. respiration
● Water dissolves many useful substances so that they
can be absorbed and transported around the bodies of
organisms. E.g. food and mineral salts
● Water dissolves waste products so they can be excreted.
E.g. Urea
 Water dissolves a large number of solvents

On the other hand, the solvent properties of

water can cause problems.
● Water can become hard
● Water can become polluted
● Mineral salts can be leached out of the soil
 02
Consequences of solvent Properties of
Water
Water Hardness
Hard water is water that doesn’t lather easily with
soap, whereas soft water lathers easily when soap is
added. Water hardness is caused by dissolved calcium
and magnesium salts. Soap only lathers when all of
the calcium and magnesium ions have been
precipitated out as scum, therefore, hard water wastes
soap. Also scum forms a grey, greasy layer around
sinks and showers and discolours clothes.
Temporary Water Hardness
Of water is hardness that can be removed by boiling.
Temporary hardness is caused by dissolved calcium hydrogen
carbonate and dissolved magnesium hydrogen carbonate. It is
found in areas rich in limestone, i.e. calcium carbonate.
Rainwater contains dissolved carbon dioxide. When this
rainwater passes through rocks containing calcium carbonate
the dissolved carbon hydrogen carbonate.
Permanent Water Hardness

Water hardness cannot be removed by boiling. Permanent

hardness is caused by dissolved calcium sulfate and
dissolved magnesium sulfate. Calcium sulfate and
magnesium sulfate are only slightly soluble and they
dissolve in water passing through rocks containing them.
 Water Pollution
When water dissolves harmful substances in the environment
it becomes polluted.
● Heavy metal ions
● Sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen which are produced
during combustion dissolve in water to form acid rain.
● Nitrate and phosphate ions present in fertilisers and
detergents.
● Pesticides used in agriculture and the control of vectors
of disease.
● Organic waste from untreated sewage and farmyards.
Leaching
Leaching is the loss of water soluble substances from
the soil as water passes through it. When rainwater or
irrigation water washes through the soil, it dissolves
water soluble mineral salts and takes the salts with it
to deeper layers of the soil. This often takes the salts
out of the reach of plant roots, making soil less fertile.
 03
The process of treating water for
home use
In our homes' water is pumped in from sources like
reservoirs, lakes, rivers, and aquifers.

It needs to be treated to lessen or eliminate all of

the impurities and make it safe to use because it
can occasionally be foggy, have a disagreeable taste,
and possibly contain harmful germs.

Water that is suitable for human consumption is

referred to as drinking water or potable water.
 04
Methods that are used to purify
water
 Large scale water treatment
This is a 4 step process that is used to treat water
before it is piped to homes.
 Flocculation and Sedimentation
FLocculation is the first step in the process. This
contain certain chemicals that cause any fine
suspended solids to clump together and form larger
particles called flocs.

Then the floc then settles in the water and this is

called sedimentation
 Filtration
Once the floc has settled the clear water above
is passed through filters to remove any
remaining particles and bacteria viruses.. The
filters are normally gravel, sand and charcoal
 Chlorination
Chlorine gas, which is extremely poisonous to bacteria
and viruses, is used to treat the water to remove any
leftover viruses and bacteria. Because chlorine is so
poisonous, small amounts are added. This has the
drawback of potentially giving the water a bad flavor
if it is added in excess. Monochloramine (NHCI) is
utilized as a substitute for chlorine since it is more
stable than chlorine, lasts longer, and lacks the
unique flavor and odor of chlorine.
 05
Water treatment at
home
 Filtration
Fiber filters composed of spun cellulose or rayon fibers can
be used to filter suspended particles from water in
residential settings. Activated carbon filters can be used
to get rid of dissolved organic compounds, smells, and bad
tastes.
 Chlorination
In the household, water can be chlorinated by adding
calcium chlorate tablets (Ca(CIO)2) or sodium chlorate
solution (NaCIO).

Chlorine bleaches contain sodium chlorate(I). The water can

be sterilized by adding 10 drops of chlorine bleach to 5 dm
of water, stirring, and letting it sit for 30 minutes. There
won't be any bad aftertaste.
 Softening hard water

Calcium and magnesium ions that have dissolved are

removed during water softening. As a result, it changes
hard water into soft water. It eliminates both transient and
persistent hardness, unlike boiling. Hard water can be
softened using one of five techniques.
 Boiling
Any germs in the water can be killed by boiling it for 15
minutes. Before consuming, the water needs to chill after
boiling. Hardness is only transiently eliminated by boiling
water. When water is heated to a high temperature, the
dissolved calcium and magnesium hydrogen carbonates break
down into water, carbon dioxide, and insoluble calcium and
magnesium carbonates. The calcium and magnesium ions are
removed from the water as the insoluble carbonates
precipitate out of it.
Addition of sodium carbonate
Which is also known as baking
powder. When this is added to hard
water and it causes calcium and
magnesium ions to precipitate out.
 Ion-exchange

Water is slowly passed through an ion-exchange

column containing an ion-exchange resin known as
zeolite. As the water passes through the zeolite the
calcium and magnesium ions sodium ions are
absorbed, the calcium and magnesium ions are
removed from the water and sodium ions enter in its
place.
 Distillation
This when boiled water produces
steam and the steam condenses to
form pure distilled water.
 Reverse Osmosis

During this water is forced through a

semipermeable membrane under pressure