H20

Today, as I was feeding my betta fish, Jacques, I was forced to again notice the dwindling amount of water in which he is able to swim. Now, I just cleaned his water last week, so there is no way the water should be halfway gone. Then, I realized that this is what happens every summer. During the winter months, I change the water about once a month, on average. Unless there is stuff floating in it. So sometimes I do it twice a month. But then, in the summer months, I notice the water evaporates a lot faster. Why is this, you ask?

Well, after a look on the good old Internet, I found the answer. Apparently, temperature is what affects the density water takes. The colder the water is, the less dense it becomes- meaning water vapor is the densest, and ice is the least dense. When it is at room temperature, the liquid and gaseous states are at an equilibrium, causing both to stay at consistently the same level. But like with a see-saw, if you put more pressure on one side, and less pressure on the other, they can’t stay at the same level, meaning the more it is heated, the more unbalanced the two states become. Because the temperature fluctuates so much more in the summer than at other times during the year, the changes in water level fluctuate faster as well. So they do change in the winter, but you don’t really notice it unless you leave the water sitting for a long time.

Other interesting things I learned:
1 Water is the only substance that can take all three forms: solid, liquid, and gas.
2 Most substances dissolve in water, at least partially, so it is considered the “universal solvent”, but many compounds cannot dissolve in water at all.
3 Water makes up 55% to 78% of the human body.
4 Water and air cannot combine, which is why we can feel the humidity in the air.
5 If there is a lot of humidity in the air, and then the temperature cools and becomes denser, you see fog.
6 The temperate and pressure at which solid, liquid, and gaseous water coexist in equilibrium is called the triple point of water, and is what defines the units of temperature.
7 Splitting water into its hydrogen and oxygen molecules and then running electricity through it is how electrolysis comes about.
8 Water absorbs ultraviolet light, infrared light, and microwaves (which is why you can put most foods in water to heat them when they would otherwise burn in direct heat).

(All of this info was found on Wikipedia)