Notes

Uses for water:

Where is Earth’s water?
97% of Earth’s water is saltwater, and 3% is freshwater. Of that 3%, 69% of it is frozen, 30% is in the ground, and 1% is surface water. Our freshwater comes from
Ice Caps
Glaciers
Groundwater
Lakes
Rivers
Soil water
Atmosphere

What affects where water goes?
Some things that affect where water goes are
Landforms (Mountains)
Elevation/Gravity (Waterfalls)
Sunlight/Temperature (Heat and evaporation)
Humans (Dams)

Where does our water come from?
Our water is delivered by the San Jose Municipal Water System(Muni Water). It serves North San Jose, Alviso, Evergreen, Edenvale, and Coyote Valley communities of San Jose. Muni Water purchases a blend of Hetch Hetchy Valley Water from its reservoirs and treated water from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commision(SFPUC). Some of the water is from wells and the Santa Clara mountains. The water in San Jose is pumped from over 100 wells that draw water from the Santa Clara Groundwater Basin. Some of our water comes from the Santa Cruz Mountains. The major water source is from spring snowmelt going along the Tuolumne River to the Hetch Hetchy Valley reservoir.

Where does our water go after we use it?
The wastewater is treated at the San Josè Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility. It undergoes a three step process to remove pollutants and then can be used again.

Water Cycle:

Describe the processes involved in the water cycle:

Evaporation: Liquid water is heated, so its kinetic energy is increased(molecules are moving faster). The liquid’s molecules become so spread out and hot, the become water vapor.

Condensation: The water vapor touches a cooler object, decreasing the amount of kinetic energy(the molecules are slowing down.

Transpiration: the tiny pores in a leaf release water vapor. This occurs after photosynthesis, as a release of oxygen.

What two forms of energy drive the water cycle?
The two forms of energy are:
Sunlight
Heat

What else affects where water goes? Geography? Temperature?
Some things that affect where water goes include
Topography (Hills, Mountains, Basins)
Elevation/Gravity (Waterfalls)
Humans (Dams)
Temperature (Heat)
If water never goes away, why do we still have drought/water shortages?
It is important to conserve water because only 3 percent of all water on Earth is freshwater, and 1 percent of it is surface water, which is what we can use. That is only a little bit, but what happens when there is a drought? The amount of water on Earth will stay the same, but it can be taken away for some time, moved, or polluted.

Condensation:

Define evaporation: liquid water turning into water vapor caused by thermal energy which causes greater kinetic energy (molecules moving faster).
Define condensation: water vapor turning into liquid water because the molecules come in contact with a cooler area (object or air) and slow down (decreased kinetic energy).

What happens to water particles during condensation? Why does this happen?
Water particles come in contact with a cooler object. They cool down, decreasing the kinetic energy. They come closer and become a liquid.

Humidity:

What factors influence humidity?
Some factors of humidity are
Temperature
Water Vapor Capacity In the Air
Water Vapor In the Air

Wind:

What causes wind?
Wind is caused by differences in the air pressure. And the differences in air are caused by differences in the temperature in the air which is caused by the uneven heating of the air which is also caused by the tilt of the Earth.

Which is more dense, hot air or cold air? Explain why.
Cold air is more dense because it is compacted more dense, like a solid. Its kinetic energy is slow. It has high pressure.
Which has more pressure, hot air or cold air? Explain why.
Cold air has more pressure because it is more dense than warm air. Cold air molecules are more tightly packed.


What causes air temperature differences?
The tilt of the Earth is the cause for air temperature differences.

Describe the process that causes a sea breeze.
Sea breezes transpire on hot, summer days. During the day, the land heats up faster than the sea. That makes the air over the sea warmer and the air over the ocean cooler. The warm air is lighter than the cold air, so it rises. The cooler air flows over the land. The cold air is called a sea breeze.

Describe the process that causes a land breeze.
Sea breezes transpire on hot, summer days. During the day, the land heats up faster than the sea. That makes the air over the sea warmer and the air over the ocean cooler. The warm air is lighter than the cold air, so it rises. The cooler air flows over the land. The cold air is called a sea breeze. The opposite happens at night. The cold air from the land moves to the ocean. That air is called a land breeze.

Extreme Weather:

What is the scientific explanation for the following extreme weather event:
Hurricanes: Hurricanes occur when warm moist air begins to rise. The rising air is replaced with cooler air. This continues until large clouds and thunderstorms form. The Coriolis Effect does the rotating twirl of the hurricane