Why is Water Important
Why do all living things need water?
To carry out their body processes.
How much of Earth's surface is salt water?
97%
What is the water cycle?
The continuous process by which water moves from Earth's surface to the atmosphere and back.
What is precipitation?
When water vapor in the air cools and condenses into liquid water.
Why is water important to living things?
We use it to drink, shower and clean.
What is a habitat?
A habitat is a place where an organism lives and obtains all the things it needs to survive.
How much of Earth's surface is fresh water?
What two things drive the water cycle?
gravity and the sun
What are some forms of precipitation?
rain, snow, hail or sleet
Rivers and lakes contain fresh water, does that mean it is always suitable for drinking?
No, animals bathe, live in and drink fresh water sources causing contamination.
What does water allow organisms to do?
Water allows organisms to break down food, grow, reproduce, and get and use materials they need from their environments.
Where is the fresh water on Earth located?
About 2/3rds are frozen in huge masses of ice near North and South Poles. Most fresh water is also underground. Far more fresh water is located in Earth's rivers and streams.
How does water move in the water cycle?
In the water cycle water moves between land, living things, bodies of water on Earth's surface and the atmosphere.
What are the three steps in the water cycle?
evaporation, transpiration and precipitation
Is water a renewable resource?
Yes.
What is photosynthesis?
The process in which algae and other plants use water, along with carbon dioxide and energy from the sun, to make their own food.
Water that fills the cracks and spaces in underground soil and in rock layer is called ___________.
groundwater
What is evaporation?
the process where molecules at the surface of a liquid absorb enough energy to change to a gaseous state.
Think about a puddle on a sunny day. How does water move through the water cycle and actually fall as rain.
The water evaporates from the puddle because of the heat of the sun and when it cools it condenses into liquid water causing rain.
The Anacostia and Potomac River
Do plants need water even though they make their own food with photosynthesis?
Yes.
Is more of Earth's water found in masses of ice or rivers and lakes?
rivers and lakes
What is transpiration?
the process of water taken in by plants and given off through the leaves as water vapor.
Which fresh water source do you think is most important to people? Why?
Rivers and lakes because they supply drinking water.
Why is the water cycle continuous?