Physical Characteristic of Water

Water
odourless and tasteless liquid at room temperature . } Can exist in three states; solid, liquid and gas
} Colourless,

Melting

Evaporation / Boiling

Freezing

Condensation

Ice

Water

Steam

} Melting

is the process where a solid changes to its liquid state at a certain temperature (called the melting point) and pressure when it is heated is the process where a liquid changes to its solid state at a certain temperature (called freezing point) and pressure when it is cooled.

} Freezing

} Evaporation

is the process where a liquid changes to its gaseous state below its boiling point. is the process where a liquid changes to its gaseous state below at boiling point.

} Boiling

} Condensation

is the process by which a gas or vapour changes to liquid state at certain temperature and pressure when it is cooled

 Water consist of many tiny and discrete particles called water molecules The arrangement and movement of the molecules in each state are different

} At

room temperature, water exist as liquid.

} Water

molecules are not arranges in any regular pattern . are free to move pass each other.

} They

} When

water freezes, it change it states from liquid to solid.

Boiling Point
at which water boils and becomes steam. } Boiling point for pure water is 100 0C.
} Temperature

} When

water is heated, its molecules gain energy from the heat source, cause the molecules to move faster and further apart.

} At

100 0C, the molecules possesses sufficient energy to overcome the forces of attraction holding them together. molecules escape from the liquid into the air to become steam.

} The

Freezing Point
} Freezing

Point Freezing Point is the temperature at which a liquid becomes a solid.

} When

water is cooled, its molecules lose their energy to the surrounding. As a result, the molecules slow down. 00C, the molecules move slow enough to allow the forces of attraction to fix them in definite position in a regular arrangement to form a solid called ice.

} At

Other characteristic of water

} Water } Good } Poor

expand upon freezing. thermal insulator.

thermal and electrical conductor. of 1g per cm3 at 4 0C.

} Density

Effect of impurities in water

} Impurities

can changes the physical characteristics of water. Taste Colour Odour

Example : Sea water

salty due to dissolves salt in it } Lower freezing point ; lower than 0 0C } Higher boiling point ; greater than 100 0C } Denser than fresh water; ships can float better in sea water than fresh water.
} Tastes

Application
is added to icy road during winter to melt the ice. } This is happen because the freezing point of ice is lowered below 0 0C.
} Salt

Activity
Place some raw egg in plain water. } What would happen to the egg?
1.

Add some table salt in the water. } What will you see? } The egg will slightly float in the water
2.

Continue adding the salt. } Observe what happen . Why ?

3.

} When

we continue add the salt, the egg will slowly float until to the surface of the water. This is because, the more salt added to the water, the density of the water will be increase. The density of the egg will be less than water, so it will float on the water.

Quiz
1. 2.

3. 4. 5.

State three physical characteristic of water. You are given a sample of water. How do you determine whether the sample is pure water? State what is meant by the freezing point of water. Predict which water is freeze faster. Pure water or salty water? Give your reasons Joe finds that he can float more easily in the sea than a swimming pool. Why?