H2O | QuickFacts

QuickFacts

If you don't have time to read through the information section, some
of the facts are summarised here, along with others:

		Water is a chemical - its formula is "H2O"
		No known life forms can survive without water.
		Water is the most abundant molecule on Earth.
		Approximately 70% of the Earth's surface is water.
		Water is the most solvent of all liquids.
		Pure water is neither acidic nor basic on the pH scale.
		Water is the only substance on Earth which occurs naturally in
		all three forms of matter (solid, liquid, gas).
		Without gravity, rain drops would be perfect spheres.
		The Celsius temperature scale is based on the freezing point
		(0 degrees) and boiling point (100 degrees) of water.
		It's estimated that 1.1 billion people don't have easy access to
		drinking water, and 2.6 billion people don't have water that's clean enough.
		The water you drink is the same water that's been around since
		before dinosaurs existed. A water molecule can spend 3,200 years in the ocean before going through the water cycle and up to 10,000 years in deep-underground caves.
		Depending on age and body size, the human body is usually
		58% - 78% water.
		In many religions, water symbolizes purity.
		In traditional Chinese philosophy, water is considered to be
		one of five elements (the others being metal, wood, fire and earth).
		A healthy person is capable of drinking up to 48 cups of water
		per day. It's recommended that you drink 7-8 cups per day (see image on right), but keep in mind that almost all forms of food and drink can provide some form of water to your body.
		There are about 326 million cubic miles of water on Earth.
		In the United States, about 346,000 million gallons (about 1.3
		trillion litres) of freshwater are used every day.
		The weight a person may lose after intense physical activity is
		due to a loss of water, not fat.

7-8 Cups of Water
Do you drink this much water
every day? It's recommended
that you drink at least 7-8 cups
of water per day - or almost four
500mL water bottles. You can
learn more here.

"Just a Glass of Water, Please."
During the California Gold Rush,
some people travelling through
the dry deserts in Nevada paid
up to $100 for a glass of water
(click here to learn more).
{Public Domain Image}

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