Reception and use of water. Ways and applications of water

Water is one of the most important substances in nature. Without it, no living organism can do without, moreover, thanks to it, they arose on our planet. In different countries a person spends from 30 to 5 000 cubic meters of water per year. What benefit is derived from it? What methods of obtaining and using water exist?

It surrounds us everywhere

Water is the most common substance on Earth and is definitely not the last in space. Depending on the composition and properties, it is hard and soft, sea, brackish and fresh, light, heavy and superheavy.

This hydrogen oxide - an inorganic compound, under normal liquid conditions, has no smell, no taste. At a small thickness of the layer, the liquid is colorless, with its increase can acquire a bluish and greenish shades.

It promotes many chemical reactions, accelerating them. In the human body water is about 70%. Being in the cells of all animals and plants, it promotes metabolism, thermoregulation and other vital functions.

In three aggregate states, it surrounds us everywhere, participating in a cycle of substances in nature. In the form of water vapor, it is present in the air. From it, it comes to the surface of the Earth in the form of precipitation (ice, fog, rain, frost, snow, dew, etc.). It falls into the rivers and oceans from above, seeps into them through the ground. After some time evaporates from their surface, again getting into the atmosphere and closing the circle.

The main resource of the Earth

All surface and underground waters of our planet, including atmospheric vapor, combine in the concept of the hydrosphere, or water shell. Its volume is almost 1.4 million cubic kilometers.

About 71% falls on the World Ocean - a continuous shell that surrounds the entire land of the Earth. It is divided into oceans of the Pacific, Atlantic, Arctic, Indian, Southern (according to some classifications) oceans, seas, bays, straits, etc. The sea is filled with salty sea water, unsuitable for drinking.

All drinking water (fresh) is within the limits of land. It is only 2.5-3% of the total volume of the hydrosphere. Fresh water is: rivers, some lakes, streams, glaciers and mountain snow, underground waters. They are distributed unevenly. Thus, in some parts of the world there are extremely arid and desert areas that have not been moistened for hundreds of years.

Most fresh water is in glaciers. They store about 80-90% of the world's reserves of this valuable resource. Glaciers cover 16 million square kilometers of land, they are located in the circumpolar regions and on the tops of high mountains.

Source of Life

Water appeared on Earth billions of years ago, whether it was liberated in the course of chemical reactions, or whether it came here as a part of comets and asteroids. Since then, it is an integral part of our lives.

Man and animals drink it, plants are sucked up by roots (or other organs) to maintain strength and energy. A huge part of the fluid enters the body together with food.

In general, people need 5-10 liters of water a day, and in the form of a liquid - about two. Animals and plants can consume it more. For example, hippopotamus drink about 300 liters a day, about the same amount is needed and eucalyptus.

The use of water in nature is not limited to drinking. For a number of organisms, it is a habitat. In the rivers and oceans algae grow, fish, plankton, amphibians, arthropods, some mammals and other creatures live.

Ways of using water

In our daily life, not a single day can do without water. In this case, fresh stocks are usually used, the number of which is very limited. Huge amounts of this resource are spent in everyday life during cleaning, washing, washing dishes, cooking.

In addition, the use of water is necessary for personal hygiene. For this purpose, it is used not only at home, but also in all workplaces, especially in hospitals. In medicine, it is also used for medical baths, compresses, wipes, added to the formulation.

It is indispensable to industry. Here, in many ways, it is useful to dissolve various substances, be it other liquids, salts or gases. It is used to produce nitrogenous, acetic, hydrochloric acids, bases, alcohol, ammonia, etc. Annually more than 1000 cubic kilometers of raw materials are taken from fresh lakes and rivers for production purposes.

The use of water is associated with such sports as figure skating, hockey, swimming, biathlon, rowing, surfing, water-motor sport. It is necessary for extinguishing a fire, for farming.

Power Engineering

Another area of water use is energy. At thermal and electric stations, water is used to cool turbines, as well as to produce steam. Only for the production of one gigawatt of electricity, heat stations consume 30 to 40 cubic meters of water per second.

The use of water in hydroelectric power plants is based on other principles. Here, electricity is generated by the speed of the flow of rivers. The stations are installed in places with natural elevations. Where the rivers are not so fast, altitude differences are created artificially with the help of dams and dams.

In China, India, the United States, France and other countries for the production of energy use the power of tides. Such stations (PES) are built on the sea coasts, where the water level changes several times a day under the influence of the forces of attraction of the Sun and the Moon.

Sea waves can also give energy. Their specific power even exceeds the wind and tidal power. Stations that generate energy in this way, while a little. The first appeared in 2008 in Portugal, it serves about 1,500 homes. Still at least one station is in the UK on the Orkney Islands.

Agriculture

Agriculture is impossible without the use of water. It is mainly used for irrigation, as well as for the supply of birds and livestock. Only for breeding ten thousand cows may need 600 cubic meters of water. The cultivation of rice on average takes 2400 liters, for grapes - 600 liters, and for potatoes - 200 liters.

Part of the water for irrigation of fields and plantations comes naturally in the form of precipitation. In some countries, for example, Great Britain, they account for the bulk of water supply.

Where the climate is more arid, irrigation systems come to the rescue . They appeared in Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt. Since then, of course, they have improved, but they have not lost their relevance. Irrigation is applied in the countries of Asia, South America and Europe. In mountainous areas it is terraced, in flood plains - flood.

Resource for rest

One of the most pleasant uses of water by man is the sphere of recreation. The damage from such use of the resource is much less than in other areas. In addition, most often people are eager to go not to freshwater, namely to sea water.

On the seas and oceans, there is a beach-bathing holiday. In Russia, the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov are popular. Most reservoirs provide an opportunity for the development of water sports, boat trips and boats, as well as fishing.

Regions with mineral waters attract those who want not only to relax, but also to improve their health. As a rule, there are balneological resorts and sanatoriums in such places. Mineral waters are saturated with various salts and trace elements, for example, sulfur, magnesium, calcium, etc. Depending on the composition, they can affect various organs in the human body, improving their work.