Lesson 2.
Water: The
Medium of Life
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fvkzjt3b-dU
explain why water is
1 considered as the medium
Objectives
of life;
At the end
of the discuss the origin of water
2 formation on Earth; and
lesson, you
should be
able to: enumerate the uses of
3 water.
Learn about it!
The Hydrosphere
● The hydrosphere includes all of Earth’s water.
Bodies of water are classified into either saltwater
or freshwater, based on salinity.
Learn about it!
Saltwater
● Saltwater (oceans and seas) primarily have high salt content.
Learn about it!
Saltwater
Learn about it!
Freshwater
● It has zero to very little salt content.
Learn about it!
Global Freshwater
● 2.5% freshwater vs 97.5% saltwater
Learn about it!
Properties of Water
● Density
○ Water is at maximum density at 3.98°C.
● Heat Capacity
○ Water has a relatively high heat capacity, which
allows it to resist temperature changes.
These properties make aquatic habitats a stable
place for organisms to live in, since aquatic habitats
can somewhat resist temperature changes.
Let’s Think!
Explain why the following situations are
possible.
Let’s Think!
Explain why the following situations are
possible.
Let’s Think!
Explain why the following situations are
possible.
Let’s Think!
Explain why the following situations are
possible.
Let’s Think!
Explain why the following situations are
possible.
Learn about it!
The Origin of Water on Earth
● The prevailing hypothesis on the origin of water on Earth
suggests that water came from comets that collided with
Earth.
● Other studies suggest that water was already present
within Earth since formation as volatiles trapped in
magma.
Learn about it!
Global Water Usage
Learn about it!
Key Points
1 Hydrosphere is the water environment of Earth.
Saltwater has a significant amount of salt content
2 dissolved within.
Freshwater has zero to minimal salt amounts
3 dissolved within.
4 Only 2.5% of water on Earth is freshwater.
Check Your Understanding
Write F if the statement describes a freshwater
and S if it describes a saltwater.
1. It is potable water
2. It comprises the oceans and seas.
3. It has very little amount of dissolved salt.
4. It comprises the rivers, streams, ponds, lakes.
5. It may cause dehydration if huge amounts are consumed.
Challenge Yourself
In boiling water using a kettle, why does the kettle becomes
hot faster than the water?
Bibliography
Naotatsu Shikazono. 2012. Introduction to Earth and Planetary System Science: New View of Earth,
Planets and Humans,Germany:Springer Science & Business Media.
Renu Anand. 2016.The Story of Planet Earth,New Delhi: The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).
Ronald Martin. 2012. Earth's Evolving Systems: The History of Planet Earth, Massachusetts: Jones &
Bartlett Publishers.
Michael Pidwirny. 2016. Chapter 4: Solar Radiation and Earth: Single chapter from the eBook
Understanding Physical Geography, Our Planet Earth Publishing.
Rubin, Kenneth. 2016. Geochemistry Lecture 33 Accessed March 17, 2017.
https://www.soest.hawaii.edu/krubin/GG325/lect33.pdf.
Photo Credits
Slide 5: This file, Clouds over the Atlantic Ocean by Tiago Foreze, is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via
Wikimedia Commons
