Water

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia "H2O" and "HOH" redirect here. For other uses, see H2O (disambiguation) and HOH (disambiguation). his article is about general aspects of !ater. For a detailed discussion of its chemical properties, see "roperties of !ater. For other uses, see Water (disambiguation). Water in three states# li$uid, solid (ice), and gas (in%isible !ater %apor in the air). &louds are accumulations of !ater droplets, condensed from %apor'saturated air. Water is a chemical compound !ith the chemical formula H 2O. ( !ater molecule contains one o)ygen and t!o hydrogen atoms that are connected by co%alent bonds. Water is a li$uid at standard ambient temperature and pressure, but it often co'e)ists on *arth !ith its solid state, ice, and gaseous state, steam (!ater %apor). Water co%ers +,- of the *arth.s surface./,0 1t is %ital for all kno!n forms of life. On *arth, 23.4- of the planet.s !ater is found in seas and oceans, ,.+- in ground!ater, ,.+- in glaciers and the ice caps of (ntarctica and 5reenland, a small fraction in other large !ater bodies, and 6.66,- in the air as %apor, clouds (formed of solid and li$uid !ater particles suspended in air), and precipitation./20/70 Only 2.4- of the *arth.s !ater is fresh!ater, and 28.8- of that !ater is in ice and ground!ater. 9ess than 6.7- of all fresh!ater is in ri%ers, lakes, and the atmosphere, and an e%en smaller amount of the *arth.s fresh!ater (6.667-) is contained !ithin biological bodies and manufactured products./20 Water on *arth mo%es continually through the !ater cycle of e%aporation and transpiration (e%apotranspiration), condensation, precipitation, and runoff, usually reaching the sea. *%aporation and transpiration contribute to the precipitation o%er land. Water used in the production of a good or ser%ice is kno!n as %irtual !ater. :afe drinking !ater is essential to humans and other lifeforms e%en though it pro%ides no calories or organic nutrients. (ccess to safe drinking !ater has impro%ed o%er the last decades in almost e%ery part of the !orld, but appro)imately one billion people still lack access to safe !ater and o%er 2.4 billion lack access to ade$uate sanitation./;0 here is a clear correlation bet!een access to safe !ater and 5ross domestic product per capita./40 Ho!e%er, some obser%ers ha%e estimated that by 2624 more than half of the !orld population !ill be facing !ater'based %ulnerability. /30 ( report, issued in <o%ember 2662, suggests that by 2676, in some de%eloping regions of the !orld, !ater demand !ill e)ceed supply by 46-./+0 Water plays an important role in the !orld economy, as it functions as a sol%ent for a !ide %ariety of chemical substances and facilitates industrial cooling and transportation. (ppro)imately +6- of the fresh !ater used by humans goes to agriculture./80