W h at is Water Water is usually a clear liquid that falls from the sky as rain flows along streams and rivers and pours from taps Water also exists as solid ice and as a gas called water vapor Liquid water freezes into ice when its temperature drops below 32º F 0º C As liquid water warms up it slowly evaporates It turns into water vapor As the temperature rises it evaporates faster When it reaches 212º F 100º C water boils and rapidly changes into water vapor Most of the water in the world is in the seas and oceans which cover 70 percent of the Earth Thick ice covers the North and South Poles Lumps of the ice break off and fall into the sea to form icebergs and ice floes 6
Living things Living things cannot survive without water Plants take in water through their roots while animals and humans drink it Most food and all drinks including milk fruit juice tea and canned drinks consist mainly of water People also use water to cook to wash and to clean clothes and other things The experiments in this book explore different aspects of water such as how plants take in water water as ice and surface tension This paper mill uses a huge amount of water to make paper from wood pulp Dish soap is used along with water to clean dishes and other things Plants need to be watered so that they will grow tall and healthy 7
C o l o ring aWhite Fl o w e r This experiment changes a white flower into a pink or blue flower It also shows you how plants take in water You will need 2 clear plastic cups of water 2 white flowers such as tulips or carnations Red and blue food coloring 1 Add red food coloring to one of the cups of water Add blue food coloring to the other cup 2 Put one flower into each cup and leave them overnight Record what happens to the petals What happened Water evaporates from plants through tiny holes in their leaves and petals To replace the water lost the flower sucked in water through tiny tubes in its roots and stem The petals are so thin you can see the colored water in them 8
M u l ticoloredFlowe r If you feed a flower red and blue water what color do you think the petals will go 1 Ask an adult to split the stem of one of the flowers using scissors You will need A cup of red water A cup of blue water 2 white flowers such as tulips or carnations Scissors 2 Put one half of the stem in the red water and the other half in the blue water Leave the flower somewhere cool overnight What do you think will happen 3 Note what happens Was your prediction right 4 Repeat the experiment with the other flower but this time leave the cup in a warm place such as a sunny windowsill or near a radiator Does it speed up the process 9
