Alright, I’m
ready to learn
about water!
In science class we are getting ready to start our unit on water. An entire unit
is dedicated to water because water is such a unique compound; some of its
properties are very different than any other compound on Earth! Lately, I’ve
been paying close attention to water in the world around me, at home,
outside, just about everywhere!
Last week I was helping my mom cook pasta for dinner. Using my
measuring skills, she asked me to measure some water
and I accidentally poured water all over the counter! I
grabbed some paper towels and began wiping up my
mess. I wondered, “How do paper towels clean up water
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so well”? My mom said it’s because water molecules
have an attraction to other water molecules and they stick together, which is the property of
__________________________. She said water molecules also stick to other materials which is the property of
__________________________. When water molecules stick to each other and stick to other materials at the same
time this causes ______________________________ which allows water to be pulled up against gravity. My mom
said that water is able to stick to so many different materials because water has a negative side and a positive side;
that makes water a ______________________________. To help the water boil faster my mom added salt to the
water.
When she poured the salt in the water I noticed all the salt seemed to disappear which meant the salt dissolved.
I asked, “Where did all of the salt go?”
“Salt has the property of ________________________, meaning that it is a solid that is able
+
+
to dissolve into a liquid,” said mom. “Salt is one of the many, many substances that can dissolve in
water which is why we call water the ___________________________.
Just then, I noticed there were still a few drops of water left
-
-
on the
counter. I couldn’t understand why the water looked like small little domes on the counter.
“Mom, why don’t the droplets of water lay flat on the counter?”
“Well Patrick,” she said, “Remember how we said water is ‘sticky’?” Well the water
molecules are sticking to each other, especially at the surface. When water molecules stick
together at the surface of a liquid it’s called __________________________. Now, Patrick, watch
this.
My mom poured water to the very top of a glass and placed a paperclip on top. The
paper clip looked like it was floating! She said it was because the water was sticking together so
tightly at the surface of the water that the water molecules wouldn’t let it fall through!
“However, Patrick, we can add something to the water to make the paperclip fall
through very easily. If we add soap to the water, soap will decrease the surface tension because soap is considered
a ___________________________.”
As the water started to boil I noticed what looked like steam coming out of the top of the pot. The heat was
causing the water to change from a liquid to a gas (water vapor) during the process of
__________________________. When I put a clear lid on the pot we could see tiny droplets of water forming on the
lid. I told my mom it was because the water vapor was cooling down and turning back into liquid water during the
process of __________________________.
cohesion
adhesion
surface tension
surfactants
capillary action
solubility
universal solvent
polar molecule
evaporation
condensation
Example:
The attraction of water to itself (when
water molecules stick to each other)
Example:
The attraction of water to other materials
(when water molecules stick to other
materials)
Example:
Cohesion at the surface of the water (when
water molecules stick to each other at the
surface of water)
Example:
Example:
A substance added to the water to reduce
the surface tension
The cohesion and adhesion properties of
water allow water to move upward against
gravity
Example:
A physical property in which a solid is able
to dissolve into a liquid
Example:
Example:
Water is the universal solvent because it can
dissolve so many substances (it can dissolve
more substances than any other compound).
A molecule having a positive side and a
negative side; Water is a polar molecule.
Example:
When water is heated and changed from a
liquid to a gas
Example:
Water vapor cools down to become liquid
water