What is water and where does it come from?
You must have heard about atoms, which are particles. the smallest part of all matter in the universe. We are all made of tiny atoms joined together to form molecules.
< p>A pure water molecule is made up of two hydrogen atoms combined with one oxygen atom. Scientists believe that water on Earth is produced when water-rich minerals melt during the process the formation of our planet and the icy comets that hit Earth billions of years ago and melted away.
Why can’t we make more water ?
Scientists can create a little water in the laboratory, but creating a large enough amount of water to use in daily life is impossible because of the cost. extremely high production process produces a lot of energy and can cause dangerous explosions.
The total amount of water on Earth does not change, but the location of water and its condition of water is always changing, that is, water can be in liquid state (like the water we drink every day, for example) or in solid state (ice) or gas state (steam).
The Scientists call the process of water changing state the water cycle, which is when water continuously moves around the world by passing through the air to the ground and to the sea.
Cycle and cycle again
The water cycle begins when water in oceans (or lakes, rivers, and wetlands) evaporates into the atmosphere (that is, into the air around them). ta) in the form of water vapor (gas).
Hot air containing water vapor rises higher and gradually gathers into clouds. It’s cold at high altitudes so the air can no longer hold water vapor, so the water returns to its liquid state and falls to Earth as rain. Part of the rain evaporates immediately and returns to the atmosphere, the rest falls into the sea to become surface water or seeps into the soil to become groundwater.
Trees can absorb groundwater with their roots and bring water to their leaves. .
The underground water flows slowly from the land to the sea and the cycle begins again.
The water cycle is very susceptible to changes due to the impact of heat temperature and pressure e.g. in hot and windy conditions more water evaporates. So climate change affects the water cycle. In areas that were previously wet, they become dry and vice versa because rain falls into the sea rather than onto land so that land creatures can absorb and use the water.
Two Tiny Drops of Drinking Water
We drink fresh water, but most of the water on Earth is salt water and most of the fresh water available on Earth is deep. underground or underground water.
In fact, you can imagine this: of all the water on Earth equal to a 1-liter carton of milk, only 2 tablespoons are fresh water and the rest is Salt water in the sea.
In those two spoons of fresh water, nearly 3/4 is water frozen into ice and the rest is underground water.
The fresh water we see and use comes from the Rivers, lakes and ponds are only less than two drops of water compared to an entire 1-liter box, equivalent to all the water on Earth.
Therefore, protecting freshwater sources is extremely important because in order to separate Removing salt from sea water so that humans can use it costs a lot of money and effort.
The Earth’s atmosphere and the sea are closely related to each other and the things we do in one place can affect water quality in other places.
Chemicals spilled into water sources such as lakes, rivers, streams, or evaporation into the atmosphere will eventually seep into groundwater. pollute the water and we won’t have enough clean water to use anymore.
Even though we can’t create more water, we can still conserve water if we know how to conserve it. and protect water.
Pham Huong (According to The Conversation)
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