Water Facts
Enjoy our fun water facts for kids. Learn how important water is
to life on Earth as well its many amazing uses and properties. Read about ice,
steam, snow, drinking water, oceans, water pollution, seawater, rivers the
water cycle and much more with our huge range of interesting facts about water.
- Water
is made up of two elements, hydrogen and oxygen. Its
chemical formula is H2O.
- Each
molecule of water is made up of two hydrogen atoms bonded to a single
oxygen atom.
- 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).
More ocean facts.
- 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.
- The
longest river in the USA is the Missouri River. At around 2,340 miles
(3,770 km) in length it is slightly longer than the Mississippi River (2,320 miles).
The two combine to form the longest river system in North America.
- Water
makes a good solvent with many sugar, salts 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. Learn more about the water
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. Check out this capillary action experiment for
more.
- 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, disease and viruses such as
E coli and Cryptosporidium.
- 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.