Introduction

Water means different things to different people. It has unique physical and chemical properties; you can freeze it, melt it, evaporate it, heat it, and combine it.

Normally, water is a liquid substance made of molecules containing one atom of oxygen and two atoms of hydrogen (H₂O). Pure water has no colour, no taste, no smell, turns to a solid at 0°C and a vapour at 100°C. Its density is 1 gram per cubic centimetre (1 g/cm³), and it is an extremely good solvent.

All life depends on water. It makes up over one half of the human body. A person can live without food for more than a month, but can live for only a few days without water. All living things, from the tiniest insect to the tallest tree, need water to survive.

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