What is Water: Definition and 1000 Discussions

Water is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as a solvent). It is vital for all known forms of life, even though it provides no calories or organic nutrients. Its chemical formula is H2O, meaning that each of its molecules contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms, connected by covalent bonds. Two hydrogen atoms are attached to one oxygen atom at an angle of 104.45°."Water" is the name of the liquid state of H2O at standard conditions for temperature and pressure. It forms precipitation in the form of rain and aerosols in the form of fog. Clouds consist of suspended droplets of water and ice, its solid state. When finely divided, crystalline ice may precipitate in the form of snow. The gaseous state of water is steam or water vapor.
Water covers 71% of the Earth's surface, mostly in seas and oceans. Small portions of water occur as groundwater (1.7%), in the glaciers and the ice caps of Antarctica and Greenland (1.7%), and in the air as vapor, clouds (consisting of ice and liquid water suspended in air), and precipitation (0.001%). Water moves continually through the water cycle of evaporation, transpiration (evapotranspiration), condensation, precipitation, and runoff, usually reaching the sea.
Water plays an important role in the world economy. Approximately 70% of the freshwater used by humans goes to agriculture. Fishing in salt and fresh water bodies is a major source of food for many parts of the world. Much of the long-distance trade of commodities (such as oil, natural gas, and manufactured products) is transported by boats through seas, rivers, lakes, and canals. Large quantities of water, ice, and steam are used for cooling and heating, in industry and homes. Water is an excellent solvent for a wide variety of substances both mineral and organic; as such it is widely used in industrial processes, and in cooking and washing. Water, ice and snow are also central to many sports and other forms of entertainment, such as swimming, pleasure boating, boat racing, surfing, sport fishing, diving, ice skating and skiing.

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  1. R

    Find the initial velocity of a water rocket (mass changes)

    Homework Statement Find the initial velocity of the boost phase (when water is coming out). Here is everything I know - Mass of rocket with no water is 0.13kg, mass of rocket with water is 1.1kg. The total length of the rocket is 0.48m. The time to the maximum point is 3.46 seconds, and total...
  2. P

    How the forces on a drop of water versus mercury on a glass slide influence the shape?

    I am trying to understand how fluids form particular shapes when put on a solid. In the two figures,what are we taking as a system for the forces? How the resultant of the forces influences the shape of the different fluids?
  3. K

    B Water - Where do you think it came from?

    Astronomy has been a fascination of mine for many years. As they discuss water on asteroids, I'm curious to see what everyone thinks. Do you feel this gives merit to the panspermia theory?
  4. Michael1234513423643

    Steel I Beam Falling Through Water

    So I'm going to try to keep this as brief as possible, but I have a somewhat advanced physics question that my nuclear background hasn't prepared me for and I need an argument settled at work. Say you have a 30 ft deep pool and you need to protect the contents, which comprise the bottom ~10 ft...
  5. EastWindBreaks

    Are theses approaches correct? (entropy change of water turning into steam)

    Homework Statement An insulated piston-cylinder device contains 5 L of saturated liquid water at a constant pressure of 150 kPa. An electric resistance heater inside the cylinder is now turned on, and 2200 kJ of energy is transferred to the steam. Determine the entropy change of the water...
  6. I

    How Does an Ideal Fluid's Velocity Change When Hitting a Vertical Board?

    Hi, I`m seeking for help in the following problem. A flat vertical board is traveling in water which is to be considered as ideal. One of its ends is in water, the other one is outside the water. Its velocity is v with respect to its normal. What is the velocity of the water stream directed up...
  7. E

    Why does air rise in the water cycle?

    Hi there! I'm teaching about rain shadows to 6th graders, and I've reached a barrier in my content knowledge. For the water cycle to work, warm, wet air near Earth's surface has to rise. In general, warm air is less dense than cold. However, due to air pressure, air near Earth's surface is...
  8. P

    HVAC Using the thermosyphon effect for a floor water heating system

    I've moved to a "new" house - built about 350-400 years ago. Firewood in a stove kind of works for heating a few rooms, but not the full house. So far it seems like the grid power tends to die about twice a month. Temperatures is expected to reach -25C (-13F) for the coldest couple of weeks...
  9. L

    Calculating the wavelength of a surface wave after impact

    Homework Statement There's a bucket, filled about halfway with water. The water itself is completely still. A perfect sphere with mass m and volume v are given. The depth of the water, and the radius of the bucket (which may be considered perfectly cylindrical) are both given. In short, you...
  10. R

    Filling water cup/bucket: which way is faster?

    Hello all, I've been thinking about this while I fill up my water cup or when I fill up a bucket from a hose. In the attached images are the two scenarios I present. My question is, which scenario would be faster (meaning in which scenario does the bucket or cup become full in the shortest...
  11. M

    Can we extract energy out of a capacitor in the ocean?

    Hello, sorry about my english it's not my mother tongue. I hope this is the right section to place this. 1. Homework Statement A cylindrical capacitor is placed in the sea so that when a wave comes (the water goes up), the water becomes the capacitors dielectric, when the wave has passed (the...
  12. A

    Clear formula for water penetration by wave frequency

    I want a clear formula for clear water (and salty water) penetration by giving only the radio wave frequency . I searched the web , the formulas on the web are so complicated . Are there any simple formula available for that ?
  13. D

    Lawn/Garden Increase the Height of Water Spouts in Garden Ponds

    Hi all, I am new to this forum and seeking help with a project that I am working on at the condominium complex where I live in Thailand during the winter months. We currently have 3 ponds with water spouts in each pond. At this time the water nozzles spray (bubble up) to about 12-14 inches. My...
  14. flamephoenix15

    How would you calculate how deep an object would go in water?

    Homework Statement So given a ball, radius r, mass m ,an a known height y from the surface the ball is dropped from, how would you calculate the depth the ball goes to in water (including the water it displaces), with the density of the ball less than the density of water. Ignore surface...
  15. G

    I Rippled surface on lake ends abruptly

    Hi. I've made these pictures on Reichenau Island in Lake Constance, Germany. I was suprized about that clear line between the calm area close to the shore and the more rippled surface further out. The wind was weak, but directed from water to land. From a pier I could see that the ground drops...
  16. Electron Spin

    Water filtration thumping problem

    I have an old under the sink H2O water filtration system. Its main components are 2 cylinder type filters, one 2.5 gal. storage tank, one passive mechanical "switch" plus a birds nest of plastic tubing with zero leaks anywhere. The output (dispenser) is your standard gooseneck type with a...
  17. M

    Thermodynamics - water vapour cycle

    Homework Statement How to calculate the specific work done. Homework Equations Water vapor initially at 10 bar and 400 °C is contained within a piston-cylinder assembly. The water is cooled at constant volume until its temperature is 150 °C. The water is then condensed isothermally to saturated...
  18. Another

    Thermodynamics: freezing water

    Homework Statement 10 kg water temperature 293 K change to ice ( 263 K) at constant pressure. Calculate the entropy change of system Answer is ##-13.8×10^3 J/°C## Homework Equations ##c_p = 4180 J/kg-K## (water) ##c_p = 2090 J/kg-K## (ice) ##l_{water→ice} = 3.34×10^5 J/Kg## ##ΔS = \int...
  19. L

    Heating water and air in a constant volume

    I found a simulation tool on wolfram alpha where the pressure of a constant volume is calculated. The pressure is affected by the heating of a mixture of water and air inside the container. There is an explanation to how the pressure is calculated which seems pretty straight forward. But there...
  20. M

    Disolving NaCl in deionized water gives high pH value

    Hello I have a problem when I dissolves NaCl in deionized water. I have a pH probe in my deionized water (lets say 1 L). Then I add 40 g of NaCl, imidiately the pH-value rises to about 9.0 (i'm logging hte pH value as a function of time). Then slowly the pH-value lowers, and after 11 hours ...
  21. P

    Calculating Heat Released During Water Freezing

    Homework Statement Calculate the amount of heat emitted when 12.4 g of water freezes to solid air. Homework Equations heat of fusion = 6.02 KJ 1 mol H2O = 18.02 g H2O The Attempt at a Solution 12.4 g H2O x 1 mol H2O/ 18.02 g H2O x (-6.02 KJ) / 1 mol H2O = - 4.14 kJ I am unsure whether the...
  22. S

    Simulating shape of spinning water surface

    I would like to simulate a simplified version of this phenomenon: where I will assume that the viscosity is zero and the liquid can therefore swirl around "laminarly" forever according to some velocity profile that I specify. How can I calculate the shape of the surface, at least in this...
  23. Wrichik Basu

    Why does flowing water cast a shadow?

    I found that water flowing from a tap is casting a shadow, somewhat like this: If you see through the water flowing from the tap, you can see that the pink colour of the wash basin is visible almost clearly. What is the cause of the flowing water casting a shadow? Is it because the...
  24. vecsen

    Boas ch1 ex12--the water purification question

    Homework Statement The question is : "In a water purification process, one-nth of the impurity is removed in the first stage. In each succeeding stage, the amount of impurity removed is one-nth of that removed in the preceding stage. Show that if n = 2, the water can be made as pure as you...
  25. Mguidry43

    Needing to know the pressure in a water tank

    At work, we have a cylindrical tank that holds water. The tank is 5 feet round and about 6 feet long putting the highest part of the tank at about 6 feet off the ground. The tank holds 1000 gallons of water. There is a valve on the bottom that I am needing to test and I can’t seem to find a...
  26. J

    Water reach (Hose without and with a nozzle)

    Homework Statement A hose of inside diameter ##1.5cm## can reach a distance of ##1.5m##. A nozzle is inserted in the hose and water can now reach ##24m##. What is the inside diameter of the nozzle? The height is the same in both cases. Homework Equations Use continuity equation...
  27. Guilherme Franco

    How volatile is urea in a water mixture?

    I'm seemingly having problems of having too much evaporation of urea in the preparation of a gel. The gel is formed by drying the components in a water mixture, and it takes hours to dry at 70 ºC and dries much faster at 100 ºC (also produces a gel with better consistency), but at 100ºC it seems...
  28. Gregs6799

    Hinged Water Storage Tank -- Calculate the force on one side

    Homework Statement A hinged water storage is shown below. Its top side is denoted as C, the narrow side as B and the long side as A. Assume water density is 1000 kg/m3 and gravity is 9.81 m/s2 Side A is hinged at the bottom edge and secured using a clasp at its top edge. Dimensions are: L =...
  29. O

    Radioactivity level in the coolant water

    Hi, Can anyone give me a source from which I can obtain the radioactivity level in the coolant water circulating in the primary circuit? Thanks in advance.
  30. E

    Can Centrifugal Pump Displace Water Down? | Small Manned Submersible

    Hello, apologies for the crude drawing. I was wondering if it is possible to have a centrifugal pump that pulls in water and pumps it out down like in the drawn picture? I know usually its to displace water up. I always see centrifugal pumps with discharge oriented up like in the photo. If it...
  31. H

    Factors affecting the efficency of water aspirators

    Is the maximum attainable vacuum from a water aspirator directly proportional to the pressure being forced through the tube of the aspirator? Are there any factors other than water temperature that will affect the vacuum performance of an aspirator? My idea goes like this, I've got an...
  32. S

    Best anode materials for water-based hydrogen generator?

    I want also to build electrolysis based hydrogen generator or and water oxygenator/aerator. It's simple electrolysis device but requires special electrodes that are corrosion resistant or at least safe for human consumption. I seen that hydrogen bottles use platinum titanium electrodes. Platinum...
  33. K

    How to Calculate Heat Requirements for a Stagnant Water Jacket System?

    I am currently working on heating a feed with a stagnant water jacket cylinder avoiding water flow by dipping the electrical immersion heater directly at the side of the cylinder jacket. With this scenario, I would like to know what equation should I use to determine the total heat requirements...
  34. Death eater

    When boiling water, what is the degree of freedom inside the vapour dome?

    When water converts to steam while boiling a vapour dome can be formed, what is the degree of freedom inside this vapour dome and on the saturated points?
  35. H

    Puzzle: propagation of momentum in water

    Hello again Physics Forums! I have a question about fluid dynamics. Perhaps someone here can help me out. I am trying to understand how a plume of water moving at some speed carries momentum within a body of water. For instance the ‘exhaust’ from a submarine propeller. I am having a hard time...
  36. itoero

    Light propagation in water -- Is the scattering Rayleigh scattering?

    When light enters an ocean, the photons scatter elastic with water molecules yet the presence of opaque particles causes the depth to be limited. Is this scattering Rayleigh scattering? (like the scattering in our atmosphere) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rayleigh_scattering
  37. P

    Force to lift a pyramid that is sitting in a water tank

    Homework Statement A pyramid weighing 4000 lb has a base 6ft square and an altitude of 4ft. The base covers an opening in the floor of a tank in which there is water 4 ft deep. Underneath the floor of the tank and on the water surface there is air at atmospheric pressure. What vertical force is...
  38. D

    Effect of ambient pressure on Newton cooling (water)

    If I have a laboratory water bath (circulated for homogeneity in temp) that I will monitor over a period of time (probably 2 scenarios, an hour at most, and then at least 24 hours or longer), how do I quantify the effect of atmospheric pressure in our test lab. What I will do is use an...
  39. S

    Question about acoustics -- Wine glasses filled with varying amounts of water

    Here’s my experiment: I have a wine glass half full of water. I tap the edge with a metallic object to make a ringing sound. I recently bought a nice microphone and some acoustic software (Spectrum Analyzer Pro Live) and I’m trying to analyze the resulting sound to determine the resonance...
  40. L

    Why do bubbles of air in water move up?

    What I am confused about is why do bubbles of air in water move up. I understand why solids and liquids would move up in water if they are less dense. I get the idea that the deeper you go in water the more pressure there is because of the more water weighing down on the water and so there would...
  41. V

    Calculate lateral force/pressure of a body water

    So I'm planning to build an above ground concrete fish pond. The size of the inside of the pond will be (L)2000mm x (W)500mm x (D)500mm. What I want to know before I go any further is will the poured concrete walls hold the pressure of the water inside. So if I know the pressure of water I'll...
  42. I

    A five-liter pot is filled with 2 l of liquid water and 3 l of dry air....

    Homework Statement A five-liter pot is filled with 2 l of liquid water and 3 l of dry air at the ambient pressure of 1 atm and temperature 10◦C. Subsequently, the pot is closed and heated up. What is the pressure inside the pot going to be when the temperature reaches 100◦C? Homework...
  43. I

    Water drag lines - what's it called?

    there's a stationary pebble on the flat shore of the beach. As the last of the wave heads back out to the ocean, it moves over the pebble and creates.. "lines" similar in shape to eg air stream around a jet, etc Wondering what these 'waves' are called?
  44. P

    Amount of water spilled when the temperature is changed

    Homework Statement A glass bottle of nominal capacity 250 cm3 is filled brim full of water at 20oC. If the bottle and content are heated to 50oC, how much water spills over? (For water, β=0.21X10-3 K-1. Assume that the expansion of the glass is negligible.) Homework Equations (dv/dT)/v =...
  45. Z

    Carbon dioxide in liquid and gaseous phases with liquid water

    What are the differences between carbon dioxide solubility (miscibility, reaction) in liquid water when in gaseous (<38 bar) and liquid (>38 bar) phase? The temperature in my experiments is usually between 0 and 5°C. The stirring speed is around 500 rpm. Is the solubility given apart from...
  46. D

    What is water impact velocity formula?

    Hello Everyone, I am brand new to this forum and I am currently doing "student research project task" where I need to conduct my own experiment basically. I am currently struggling to find a formula for an impact velocity. I hope there is someone in this forums that could help me. What I...
  47. C

    What is the weight increase of a dredge when hoisting it out of water?

    I am a crane operator and have prob, a very simple question for any of you. I set a dredge in a pond and when I set it in the water it weighed 80,000 lb. My question is when I'm hoisting it back out how much will the weight increase before it is free from the surface of the water.
  48. P

    What is the moment of inertia for a water bottle?

    Hi, I'm setting up an equation for initial gravitational potential energy, and I'm just wondering what the moment of inertia, I, would be for a water bottle rolling down an inclined ramp? Is it mr2 or ½mr2 Or would it be something else?
  49. G

    Physics of Light/Infrared for Solar Stills Research

    Hi, I am doing my dissertation for Mechanical Engineering on Solar Stills and my mentor has suggested it would be a good idea to research the physics of light/infrared absorption, transmission, water evaporation and condensation. I am wondering if anyone has good book recommendations for me to...
  50. Frankenstein19

    Fluid Mechanics: resultant force of oil and water on a door

    Homework Statement Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution [/B] My questions: 1. By resultant force, does that mean the force exerted on the side of the water + force exerted on side of the oil? Because I'd think that the force on the side of the water would be different than the...
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