This
activity begins students on a journey to understand the
water cycle. Water is a compound composed of the elements
hydrogen and oxygen. Water is one of the most abundant,
widely distributed, and essential substances on Earth. It
occurs in nature as solid (snow, ice), liquid (water), and
gas (steam).
Water
has no taste, no smell, a pouring sound, no shape, and is
wet. You may have to explain that some water does have a
taste because many municipal water supplies have been
treated with chemicals or may naturally have ions of
calcium, magnesium, or fluoride in the water supply and
this will give water a slight taste and smell. Distilled
water has no taste or smell.
Water
is made up of the elements hydrogen and oxygen, which are
held together very tightly. The hydrogen and oxygen atoms
are arranged similar to Mickey Mouse's head. Mickey's
head would be one oxygen, and his ears would each be a
hydrogen. Actually, a water molecule is more like a teddy
bear, the hydrogen (the ears) are much smaller than the
head (oxygen).
