Water on Earth

10.1 The distribution of water on Earth

The presence of water on Earth in the solid, liquid and gaseous
states is unique within our solar system.
The fact that the Earth has retained this water is a result of the
planets gravitational force, determined by its mass, and the
Earths temperature, which is determined by its distance from the
sun.
Water has played a central role in the evolution of life on Earth
and remains critical to the maintenance of life on the planet.
Water is the only pure substance on Earth commonly found in all
three states.
Water has some remarable properties that are crucial to the
maintenance of all living systems.
!iquid water covers nearly "#$ of the Earths surface in the form
of oceans, seas, laes, ground water and rivers, which are
collectively referred to as the hydrosphere.
The polar ice caps cover another portion of our planet, dominating
the regions north of the %rctic &ircle and south of the %ntarctic
&ircle.
'ur atmosphere contains varying amounts of gaseous water,
water vapour, in the range 0(#$.
Water in the lithosphere can occur as moisture or permafrost within
soils and rocs, and as water of crystallisation within minerals.
Water of crystallisation or water of hydration refers
to water molecules that form part of the crystal structure of many
ionic substances for e)ample hydrated copper*++, sulfate,
&u-'
.
.#/
0
',
Water is the ma1or constituent of living matter, representing
appro)imately "0$ of the biosphere. +t is a component of all cells,
the transport system for nutrients and waste products in living
things, a reaction medium for many biochemical processes,
and, together with carbon dio)ide, is a reactant in photosynthesis.
10.0 -olutions
The oceans and seas dominate our planet. They are not pure
substances, but mi)tures containing large quantities of dissolved
substances, called solutions.
-olutions are defined as homogeneous mi)tures. +n a solution, one
substance, nown as the solute, is dissolved in another substance,
the solvent.
%queous solutions
-olutions in which the solute is dissolved in water are called
aqueous solutions and are indicated in chemical equations by the
use of the symbol *aq, to the right of the solute. 2or e)ample, a
solution of glucose in water is indicated as &
3
/
10
'
3
*aq, and an
aqueous solution of sodium chloride as 4a&l*aq,. &ommon
naturally occurring aqueous solutions include sea water, blood
plasma, stomach acid, sap in plants and drins lie coffee and
lemonade.
-aturated and unsaturated solutions
+f sugar is continually added to water, there comes a point at which
no more will dissolve. %t this stage the solution is said to be
5saturated. % saturated solution is one in which no more solute will
dissolve under the e)isting conditions of temperature and
pressure. %n unsaturated solution is a solution that contains less
than the quantity of solute needed to saturate it under the e)isting
conditions.
-olubility
6ifferent substances can e)hibit very different solubilities in a
particular solvent. 2or e)ample, salt is an e)ample of a substance
that is readily soluble in water, while o)ygen is less soluble and
sand is virtually insoluble.
10.7 The +mportance of water in Earth processes
The movement of water through the atmosphere, lithosphere,
hydrosphere and biosphere is referred to as the water cycle.
Water
o maes up appro)imately "0$ of the biosphere and has a
critical role in the maintenance of life on Earth.
o is an essential reactant in the production of glucose by the
process of photosynthesis.
3&'
0
*g, 8 3/
0
'*l, 8 light energy 9 &
3
/
10
'
3
*aq, 8 3'
0
*g,
o glucose is the basic currency of energy in the biosphere.
o &ellular respiration is essentially the reverse and provides
the energy required to sustain life.
&
3
/
10
'
3
*aq, 8 3'
0
*g, 9 3&'
0
*aq, 8 3/
0
'*l, 8 energy
o acts as a solvent for many solutes. Water dissolves o)ygen,
various salts and nutrients, and is therefore important in
supporting plant and animal life.
o many waste products such as carbon dio)ide, ammonia and
urea are soluble in water, providing an important mechanism
by which plant and animal wastes can be removed.
o The human body is over two:thirds water, with blood, being
over ;0$ water.
o is also a ma1or component of our lymph system, and the
moisture lining our lungs allows the gases o)ygen and
carbon dio)ide to be transferred between the air we breathe
and our respiratory system.
o transfers heat energy around our body from cells performing
respiration to our sin, where it can escape.
o has a relatively high heat capacity, which means it can
absorb *and release, large quantities of heat energy with
relatively small temperature changes.
o %ffects the air temperatures e)perienced in regions close to
the coast.
o performs a vital role in both the formation of landforms and
the production of soil by weathering and erosion.
o is critical to human e)istence in other ways
reliable supply of good quality water is a central
requirement of modern societies.
used for drining, washing, growing crops and in
many industrial processes.
constitute a transport system, important in moving
great quantities of food, raw materials and consumer
products around the planet.
serves as a source of great entertainment and
en1oyment to many people.
10.. Water density
The density of liquid water, lie all other matter, is defined as
follows<
6ensity = mass
volume
The units for density are usually e)pressed as g m
(7
or g cm
(7
.
%s the temperature increases, it usually e)pands, and its volume
increases. This is caused by the increased inetic energy of the
particles. %s a result, the density of the substance decreases.
>ost substances increase in density when they free?e, again
because a decrease in volume occurs during the free?ing process.
Waters density is unusual in two ways.
2irst, water e)pands when it changes from the liquid to the solid
state
The lower density of ice in relation to liquid water allows ice to float
on top of water, a situation that is critical to life forms in polar and
other regions that e)perience e)tremely cold weather conditions.
-econd, as liquid water is cooled, its density increases until it
reaches .@&, but below this temperature its density decreases.
This occurs because water initially contracts with cooling but at
temperatures below .@& it e)pands due to the intermolecular
forces in water causing the water molecules to arrange themselves
in a particular way.
Water on Earth
Review exercise 10.1
1 Identify the most common state in which water is found in<
a the biosphere
b the hydrosphere
c the atmosphere.
2 !ist three natural reservoirs of liquid water that occur on the Earth.
3 Explain the term 5water of crystallisation, using an e)ample to support your
answerr.
Review exercise 10.2
1 Outline the differences between compounds, mi)tures and solutions.
2 The solubility of sodium chloride in water is 73 g per 100 g of water at 0#@&.
Identify the following solutions as saturated or unsaturated at 0#@&<
a 70 g of 4a&l in 100 g of water
b 7; g of 4a&l in 100 g of water
c 1; g of 4a&l in #0 g of water.
Review exercise 10.3
1 Account for the importance of water to living things.
2 Explain the effect that waters capacity to store heat energy has on the
climate of a coastal area.
3 Identify and compare the processes by which water brings about the
physical and chemical weathering of rocs.
Review exercise 10.
1 Explain, in terms of the particle theory of matter, why the density of
substances usually decreases when temperature increases.
2 The density of ice at (0@& is 0.A1" g cm(7. !alculate the mass of 1 litre *1
dm(7, of ice at this temperature.
3 a Explain the unusual variation in the density of water as a function of
temperature.
b Outline how this density variation is important for life on Earth.
c Bse Table 10.. to identify the temperature at which water is most dense.