Heat Flow in Water

So now let’s think about the movement of heat into and out of a body of water (or the ground). Check Your Thinking: What happens to the temperature of a lake over the course of the summer? What causes this to happen?   The reason that the angle of the rays is different in summer […]

Water Resources

CFWEP World Water Monitoring Day Teacher Resource Guide (pdf format): Designed for high school level lessons, this short guidebook can be useful to any teacher interested in water monitoring. Provides detailed definitions of water monitoring terms, as well as local Montana examples of water quality issues. Indicator Fact Sheet (pdf format): From World Water Monitoring […]

Water Glossary

Chemistry Terms Acid Adhesion Anions Aqueous Solutions Base Capillary Action Cations Chemistry Cohesion Compound Covalent Bond Dipole Electric Charge Electrolyte Electron Gas Hydrogen Hydrogen Bond Hydronium (Ions) Hydroxide (Ions) Ionic Bond Ionization Ions Liquid Metal Molecule Oxidation Oxygen Polarity Precipitate Purified (Distilled, Deionized) Water Salt Saturation Solid Solute Solution Solvent Specific Heat Surface Tension   […]

Extension Activities

There are many opportunities to extend and expand the activities listed in this module. Several examples are listed below. Extension 1 Drop in the Bucket Activity: From Project WET, this straightforward activity is a fun and easy way to illustrate the relative scarcity of freshwater on Earth, and the importance of protecting our water resources. […]

An Introduction to Water Quality

Water is a limited and precious resource on our planet. No living thing – plant, animal or human – can survive without a clean supply. Project WET’s “Drop in the Bucket” activity is an excellent way to illustrate the relative scarcity of fresh water on Earth. View the “Drop in the Bucket” lesson plan online, […]

Conductivity: Pure Water + Sulfuric Acid

In this video, Dr. David Hobbs observes the conductivity of pure water plus sulfuric acid. Right-click or ctrl-click this link to download.

Conductivity: Pure Water + Acetic Acid

In this video, Dr. David Hobbs observes the conductivity of pure water plus acetic acid. Right-click or ctrl-click this link to download.

Conductivity: Pure Water + CaCO3

In this video, Dr. David Hobbs observes the conductivity of pure water plus calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Right-click or ctrl-click this link to download.   And in the following video, Dr. Hobbs discusses the ionization of calcium carbonate and potential environmental implications. Right-click or ctrl-click this link to download.

Conductivity: Pure Water + NaCl

In these short videos, Dr. David Hobbs demonstrates the conductive properties of water. Conductivity refers to the amount of dissolved solids present in an aqueous solution, allowing it to conduct electricity. In this first video, Dr. Hobbs observes changes in conductivity when salt (sodium chloride, NaCl) is added to pure, or deionized, water. Right-click or […]

Molecular Attraction & Phases of Water

Unlike most substances, water is commonly found in all its phases (solid, liquid, and gas) on earth. The unique properties of each of the phases also contribute to many aspects of life. For instance, the maximum density of water occurs at about 4.0 Celsius (Density = 0.9998 g/mL), and water is less dense upon freezing (Density […]