Properties of Water
What two elements make up water?
Hydrogen and oxygen.
Which ocean is the largest?
Pacific Ocean
What are the two main sources of freshwater?
Surface water (above ground) and groundwater (below ground).
What is evaporation?
Evaporation is when the sun heats the surface of water and it changes state to become water vapor, which mixes with the air.
What is wastewater?
Wastewater is used water
What is cohesion?
Cohesion is when water molecules are attracted to other water molecules.
What is salinity?
Salinity is a measure of the amount of dissolved salts in a given amount of liquid.
What is a tributary?
A stream that empties into another stream or river.
Name two ways water moves during the water cycle.
Any two of the following: evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, runoff, or infiltration.
What is the difference between point source and nonpoint source pollution?
Point source pollution comes from a single source, like a pipe leaking chemicals. Nonpoint source pollution comes from multiple sources, like runoff from farms or streets.
Why is water called "the universal solvent"?
Because water can dissolve most substances.
Why does the ocean help regulate Earth's temperature?
The ocean absorbs and stores energy from sunlight, which helps regulate temperatures in Earth's atmosphere. Water has a high specific heat capacity, allowing it to absorb a lot of heat.
What is the difference between the zone of saturation and the water table?
The zone of saturation is the area where water fills all of the open spaces in sediment and rock. The water table is the upper level of the saturation zone (the top surface of groundwater).
Explain the difference between runoff and infiltration.
Runoff is when surface water moves along land and enters a body of water. Infiltration is when surface water is absorbed by Earth's surface and turns into groundwater below the surface.
Explain what eutrophication is and why it is harmful to aquatic ecosystems.
Eutrophication occurs when nutrients from waste and fertilizer run off into a waterway, causing an increase in plant life (often seen as algal blooms). These plants use the oxygen in the water, which depletes oxygen for other organisms, causing them to die from lack of oxygen.
Explain why water cannot dissolve oils and fats.
Water cannot dissolve oils and fats because they are nonpolar, and water is polar. Polar and nonpolar substances don't mix.
Explain why cold ocean water sinks and warm ocean water rises.
Cold water is more dense than warm water. Cold ocean water also has higher salinity, which makes it even more dense. Since cold water is denser, it sinks. Warm water is less dense, so it rises.
Explain why a soil sample with large pore spaces that are not connected to each other would NOT be permeable.
Permeability is the ability of water to move through soil. For soil to be permeable, the pores must be connected so water can flow through them. If the pores are not connected to each other, water cannot move through the soil, so it is not permeable.
Describe what happens during condensation and explain why it is important for forming precipitation.
During condensation, air cools down and water vapor condenses back into water droplets. These droplets collect together to form clouds. This is important because the water droplets in clouds attract other droplets, grow bigger, and eventually become heavy enough to fall as precipitation (rain or snow).
Describe how saltwater intrusion occurs and why it is a problem caused by aquifer depletion on the coast.
Normally, groundwater flows into the ocean. However, when groundwater is over-pumped from coastal aquifers due to overuse, the water table drops. This allows saltwater from the ocean to flow into the aquifers, contaminating the freshwater supply that communities depend on for drinking water.
How do cohesion and adhesion work together to create capillary action? Explain what allows water to move up a narrow tube against gravity.
Adhesion causes water to stick to the walls of the tube, and cohesion pulls the other water molecules along with it. Together, these forces allow water to flow upward in narrow spaces even against gravity.
Describe how ocean currents form and explain why they are important for regulating coastal climates.
Ocean currents form when cold, dense water sinks and warm, less dense water rises. This movement creates circulation patterns in the ocean. Ocean currents are important because they transport warm or cold water to coastal areas, which affects the climate of those regions and can make temperatures more moderate or extreme depending on the current.
Describe what happens when many wells are drilled in an area and explain what problem a "cone of depression" could cause.
When many wells pump water from the ground, the water table lowers around those wells, creating a cone-shaped depression in the water table. This could cause problems because the water table continues to drop, making it harder and more expensive to pump water. It could also lead to wells running dry or groundwater depletion in that area.
Explain how evaporation, condensation, and precipitation work together as part of the water cycle to move water around Earth.
The sun heats water and causes evaporation, turning it into water vapor that rises into the atmosphere. As the air cools, condensation occurs and the water vapor turns back into droplets that form clouds. When the droplets get too heavy, precipitation falls back to Earth as rain or snow. This continuous cycle moves water from the surface to the atmosphere and back again.
Explain how dams negatively impact aquatic ecosystems and how they can lead to eutrophication.
Dams block fish migration, preventing them from reaching spawning grounds, and stop nutrient flow downstream. By slowing water movement, dams create warmer water conditions. Warmer water can lead to eutrophication, which depletes oxygen and kills aquatic organisms. Additionally, dams can cause floods upstream, disrupting entire ecosystems.