H2O, otherwise known as water, exists in three distinct states — solid ice, liquid water, and gaseous steam — and, in each of these states, people have always found the substance to be extremely useful. Obviously, it’s impossible to survive without liquid water; our own bodies are made up of the stuff; and it’s clear, too, that ice is useful for keeping things cold, for keeping drinks cold with ice cubes and foods frozen in the icebox, and so on. The uses of steam for health was also obvious, such as in a sauna or steam shower ; however, it would take centuries before anyone thought to use steam as a power source.
Water becomes ice at 0 degrees Centigrade. On a cold morning, you’ll be able to see frost outside, which are ice crystals. When liquids become solid, they’re most often crystalline in nature. Such crystalline structures usually takes up less space than their liquid form, because the individual molecules are more tightly packed; however, interestingly, ice takes up more room than water, making it less dense, and therefore able to float.
Water as a liquid has molecules which are connected fairly loosely with each other, allowing the water to pour and flow. Water molecules on the surface link more tightly to each other, which creates surface tension , keeping water in drops. However, at 100 degrees Centigrade, water’s boiling point, the liquid transforms into a gas and begins to evaporate into the air. All of these changes in liquid are known as phase transitions, from one state to another, enabling us to create powerful locomotives and to take a relaxing and refreshing bath, whether by water or steam.
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