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Science Investigatory Project
Science Investigatory Project
Water is a transparent and nearly colorless chemical substance that is the main constituent of
Earth's streams, lakes, and oceans, and the fluids of most living organisms. Strictly speaking, water
refers to the liquid state of a substance that prevails at standard ambient temperature and pressure;
but it often refers also to its solid state (ice) or its gaseous state (steam or water vapor). It also
occurs in nature as snow, glaciers, ice packs and icebergs, clouds, fog, dew, aquifers, and
atmospheric humidity.
Water covers 71% of the Earth's surface. It is vital for all known forms of life. Safe drinking water
is essential to humans and other life forms even though it provides no calories or organic nutrients.
Access to safe drinking water has improved over the last decades in almost every part of the
world, but approximately one billion people still lack access to safe water and over 2.5 billion lack
access to adequate sanitation. However, some observers have estimated that by 2025 more than
half of the world population will be facing water-based vulnerability. A report, issued in
November 2009, suggests that by 2030, in some developing regions of the world, water demand
will exceed supply by 50%.
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. 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 chemical substances; as
such it is widely used in industrial processes, and in cooking and washing.
WHY DO WE NEED TO DRINK WATER?
1. Drinking Water Helps Maintain the Balance of Body Fluids. Your body is composed of
about 60% water. The functions of these bodily fluids include digestion, absorption, circulation,
creation of saliva, transportation of nutrients, and maintenance of body temperature.
2. Water Can Help Control Calories. For years, dieters have been drinking lots of water as a
weight loss strategy. While water doesn't have any magical effect on weight loss, substituting it for
higher calorie beverages can certainly help.
Food with high water content tends to look larger, its higher volume requires more chewing, and it
is absorbed more slowly by the body, which helps you feel full. Water-rich foods include fruits,
vegetables, broth-based soups, oatmeal, and beans.
3. Water Helps Energize Muscles. Cells that don't maintain their balance of fluids and
electrolytes shrivel, which can result in muscle fatigue. "When muscle cells don't have adequate
fluids, they don't work as well and performance can suffer."
4. Water Helps Keep Skin Looking Good. Your skin contains plenty of water, and functions as a
protective barrier to prevent excess fluid loss.
5. Water Helps Your Kidneys. Body fluids transport waste products in and out of cells. The main
toxin in the body is blood urea nitrogen, a water-soluble waste that is able to pass through the
kidneys to be excreted in the urine.
When you're getting enough fluids, urine flows freely, is light in color and free of odor. When
your body is not getting enough fluids, urine concentration, color, and odor increases because the
kidneys trap extra fluid for bodily functions.
If you chronically drink too little, you may be at higher risk for kidney stones, especially in warm
climates.