ELEXIR OF LIFE

   

    Water, a peculiar liquid.  It is the only liquid that can exist in all the three forms in room temperature.  That is, ice, steam, and water.
     
     It is a life giving substance since it is one of the ingredient needed to make energy giving glucose by the life forms.  It also regulate the body temperature.  Water helps to transport nutrients, clear waste products in our body.  It goes on and on.  Yet, the science books misses to term it as a nutrient.

     We have, spherical drops of water, slashing sheet of rain, interesting shapes of ice crystals, ice mountain called ice bergs, flood of water which sweeps away everything, giant waves called Tsunami, cloud forms pregnant with rain drops, a placid lake, the deep ocean, water dust raising due to water fall, high energy steam-so many avatars of water.
    Men has made very high pressure jet of water which cuts even a metal.  Also man has built ice houses and castles.

      Highest amount of water is required to produce edible products like rice, wheat, bread
     To cultivate 1 kg rice, 2500 liters of water is needed.  For 1 kg bread, 1600 liters.  To raise 1 kg sheep meat at least 10500 liters required.  For 1 kg tomato, only 200 liters.  But for making one kg of chocolate, a whopping 17000 liters is required. 
     James watt discovered that water steam can push things.  He designed the steam engine which ushered in the industrial revolution.  Steam is still used as the carrier of heat energy.

     In winter, lakes  froze but only on the top surface.  Inside the ice sheet, the liquid water remains intact.  It is a nature's miracle to protect aquatic life.
     Water is the only liquid which takes long time to heat up and cool down.  It saves us in winter and summer season.  You can feel the cool water in hot summer in a well.
     It is said that first life, on the earth appeared in water.  Water is the main requirement for the life to thrive in a planet.
     The water molecule H2O has a strong bond.  It has slightly separated negative and positive charges.  So it is an electric dipole.  When the molecule spins, it can create magnetic field.  The above concept is used modern technology.  In a microwave oven, microwaves agitate and rotate the water molecules in the food.  Hence the friction arises, and consequently the food is warmed up.
     In our body, every cell has water content.  These water molecules helps to generate a image in a MRI scan machine.

     People have separated hydrogen from water and used it as a fuel.  But no commercial success yet.
     The liquid water, solid ice and water vapour can co-exist at the temperature of 0.01 c and at the pressure of .006 atmosphere.  It is called 'triple point' in thermodynamics.

     When you put a tea bag in hot water, tea slowly diffuses and spreads up.  It is because water molecules are in random motion due to thermal energy and collide with tea particles. Hence the tea particles are pushed and moved.
     Water's upward thrust and buoyancy is so powerful, even a floating city -luxury ship can be built on it.
     When the submarines goes deep in the ocean waters, heavy water pressure is built on it.  The submarine should be able to withstand it.
      Water is the best cleaning agent.  Washes clothes and also cars.  It is a great solvent, dissolves many substances.

     The Bermuda triangle in the ocean is still a mystery.   Some ships and planes which ventured into that area vanished(said to be) without a trace.  Many stories are being told about it.  Water even writes a mystery novel.
     Man has took water for granted for a very long time.  He hunted for gold, diamond,oil etc.  Tomorrow, he may prospect for pure water which may be more precious than any precious metal.