15

Water—A Natural Resource

Expected Learning Outcomes
Knowledge to be gained: •Sources of water and their uses •Water cycle •Effects of oods and
droughts •Conservation of water
Skill to be developed: •Rainwater harvesting
Attitudes to be inculcated: •Importance of conservation of water •Making wise use of available
water resources

IMPORTANCE OF WATER survive. In fact, a person can survive without

Water is the most wonderful liquid. It is very
essential for life. It is one of the most
common substance around us. ere is
water almost everywhere on Earth. About
three-fourths of the Earth's surface is
covered with water. Water is found in rivers,
lakes, ponds, oceans and even under-
ground. It is present in glaciers and on top of
high mountains in the form of ice.
It is also present in the air around us in the
form of water vapour. Water is also present
inside us. All living things need water to
202 Exploring Science-6
food, but not without water!
NEED OF WATER
Imagine a situation where you do not get the
supply of water in your house for a day or
two! What would happen? Which of your
daily activities would be affected?
We use water for many purposes, i.e.,
drinking, cooking, bathing, washing,
ushing t he lavator y, and e ven for
recreation. Have you ever visited a water
park? Is it not fun to be there? List a few more
activities for which water is necessary.
 Fig.1 Different uses of water
Water also helps our body to do its work. Do
Cooking
you know that more than half of your body
Cleaning oor
weight is water? If you weigh about 45 kg,
Toilet
you have about 30 kg of water inside you!
Any other
Plants also need water to make their food Total water used in a
and grow. Seeds need water to germinate. day by your family

SOURCES OF WATER
About 70% of the Earth's surface is covered
with water. e various sources of water on
the Earth are rain, rivers, lakes, streams,
canals, ponds, glaciers, seas and oceans.
Water is not evenly spread on Earth. Some
Adult male: Adult female: Child: Infant:
places have an abundance of water, while
60% 55% 65% 75% some places have a scarcity of it.
Fig.2 Percentage of water in the human body
e largest source of water on Earth are the
oceans. Oceans cover around two-third of the
Activity-1 Earth’s surface, and contain more than 97% of
Earth’s water. Water in the seas and oceans has
With the help of your parents ll in the table huge amounts of salts dissolved in it. So, it is
given below to estimate the amount of water not t for drinking and other domestic,
used in a day by your family.
agricultural and industrial purposes.
Activity Amount of Rainwater is the primary source of water. It
water used
drives the water cycle on Earth. Most water
Drinking in ponds, lakes and rivers comes from rain,
Brushing
either directly or indirectly. Rainwater is the
Bathing
purest form of natural water. It is not salty
Washing utensils and is t for drinking.
Water-A Natural Resource 203
 Water table Lake
Groundwater

Non-porous rock

Fig.3 Groundwater
While oceans are the largest source of
water on Earth, rainwater is the primary
source of all water we use.
Rainwater
Rainwater is collected in the form of surface
water and groundwater.
Sources of water
Rain (Main source)
Surface water Groundwater
Lakes, rivers, Springs, wells and
streams, canals, etc. in ltration wells
Surface Water
Water present on the Earth's surface in the
form of oceans, rivers, lakes, ponds and
streams is called surface water. e water in
the rivers and lakes comes from rain, and the
melting of glaciers on mountains. Rivers
ow into the seas.
Groundwater
Some of the rainwater seeps through the
soil onto the non-porous rocks below. is
is called groundwater. e groundwater
can be obtained by digging wells, making
tube wells, etc. Sometimes, due to high
pressure, this water sprouts in the form of
springs. Springs are places where the
204 Exploring Science-6
underground water reaches the surface of
Earth on its own.
USES OF WATER
Water is used in a varied number of elds.
Various uses of water are as follows:
u Agricultural needs: Farmers depend on
water to irrigate their crops, like wheat
and paddy.
u Industrial needs: Industries use a large
amount of water for cleaning, heating,
cooling, generating electricity, etc.
u Domestic needs: We need water for
drinking, cooking, bathing, cleaning,
washing, etc.
u Water can be used for transport and
recreation.
u Water acts as a habitat for many aquatic
plants and animals.
DIFFERENT STATES OF WATER
In nature, water exists in three states, i.e.,
solid (ice, snow, hail), liquid (rain, river, sea)
and gas (water vapour).
Most of the water found on the Earth is in
liquid form. For example: Rivers, streams,
lakes, etc. e liquid state of water can be
converted into the solid state as ice or into
the gaseous state as water vapour.
 Solid Liquid Gas Leave Plate A and the glass (covered with
Melting Heating Water Plate C) under the Sun. Keep Plate B in the
Vapour shade. Observe the level of water in each one
Ice Evaporating
of them aer a day. What do you observe?
Note down your observations in the table
Freezing Cooling Condensing given here:
Fig.4 Different states of water Container Level of Water
Plate A (placed in sunlight)
heating Water vapour
Water Plate B (placed in shade)
(steam)
cooling Glass (placed in sunlight but
covered with Plate C)
cooling
Water Ice In the last activity, you would have noticed
heating that:
Evaporation of Water u e water in Plate A evaporates and mixes
with the air.
e change of water into water vapour is
u e water level in Plate B becomes less,
called evaporation. When water is heated, it
but still some water is le in the plate.
evaporates. Where does this heat to
Aer a few days, the water eventually
evaporate water come from in nature? Let us
disappears.
do an activity to nd it out.
u e water level in the glass covered with
Plate C almost remains the same. is is
Activity-2
so because the water vapour could not
Take a glass and make a mark on it with a escape as it was covered with a plate.
sketch pen. Fill water in the glass up to the
We can conclude that the warmth of
mark as shown in the gure. Now, pour it into
sunlight heats the water and causes
a plate marked as A. Again, ll water up to the
evaporation.
mark in the glass and pour it into another
plate marked as B. Fill the water in the glass ough evaporation takes place at all
upto the mark once again and cover the glass temperatures, the rate of evaporation is
with another plate. faster when water gets more heat.
at is why, wet clothes are le out in the Sun
to dry. e wet clothes dry quickly in
Plate C summer and take a lot more time to dry in
winter and monsoon.
Plate A
Similarly, water from seas, oceans and other
water-bodies evaporate due to heat from the
Plate B
Sun. e water vapour formed mixes with
the air to eventually form clouds.
Fig.5 Different rates of evaporation
Water-A Natural Resource 205
Plants also lose water from their leaves by the
process of transpiration. Transpiration is
the process of loss of water by plants in the
form of water vapour. is water vapour
also mixes with the air. Plants and
animals also release water vapour during
respiration.
us, water vapour enters the air through
the following processes:
u Evaporation
u Transpiration
u Respiration
Condensation of Water
e change of water vapour into water is
called condensation. When water vapour is
cooled, it changes back into water.
Freezing of Water
e change of liquid water into solid ice is
called freezing of water.
What Happens to the Water Vapour that
Mixes with the Air?
e water vapour that enters the air does not
disappear. Let us nd out what happens to
the water vapour present in the air.
Activity-3
Place some ice cubes in a completely dry
glass. Cover the glass with a thick cardboard
or a plate. Let it stand for a few minutes. What
do you observe? Do tiny drops of water
appear on the outer side of the glass? Run a
nger around the glass. Is it wet? Can you
guess why?
206 Exploring Science-6
Cardboard
Water droplets
Glass
Fig.6 Condensation of moisture in air
In this activity, the air around the glass gets
cooled because of the presence of ice. e
cool air cannot hold much water. Some of the
water vapour, therefore, changes into tiny
water drops. is water vapour that changes
back into water is found on the outer surface
of the glass containing ice. e change of
water vapour into tiny droplets of water is
called condensation.
WATER CYCLE
e continuous circulation of water from
the Earth's surface to the air and from the
air back to the Earth's surface is called the
water cycle.
On hot days, some of the water present in the
ponds, lakes, rivers, seas and oceans gets
warmed up and evaporates. e water that
evaporates mixes in the form of water
vapour with the air. is water vapour rises
up. As the water vapour rises higher
and higher, it gets cooler because the
temperature above the Earth's surface goes
down as we move higher. is change in
temperature cools the warm water vapour.
e water vapour then condenses into tiny
droplets of water. ese tiny droplets of
water form clouds in the sky. e tiny drops
in the clouds join together to form larger
drops. e large drops of water combine to
form large clouds. Sometimes, a few clouds
collide and large drops of water fall on Earth
in the form of rain. In very cold places, these
water drops fall in the form of hail or snow.
e falling of water from the clouds in any
form is called precipitation.
Some of the rainwater gets absorbed by the
soil and seeps under the ground. e
rainwater also lls back the rivers, lakes and
ponds. e water from rivers ows into the
seas and oceans. In this way, the water cycle
is completed.
Oceans contribute about 80% of water
vapour in the air. e majority of clouds that
contain rainwater come from the oceans and
rivers. e saline water from the oceans
evaporates, leaving the salts behind, to form
clouds. e water vapour in the clouds cools
Precipitation
Transpiration
Percolation
Groundwater
Impervious layer
Water-A Natural Resource
down to form tiny droplets of water. e
clouds are then transported to land via wind.
These clouds then rain fresh water on land,
re lling the depleting sources of fresh water.
e circulation of water between the
ocean, atmosphere and land is a
continuous process and is known as the
water cycle.
Knowledge Booster
There are mainly four types of clouds:
• Cirrus clouds: Cirrus clouds are thin clouds
which look like thin flowing hair.
• Cumulus Clouds: Fluffy and light cumulus
clouds o en cool the weather. They look like
co on balls.
• Stratus clouds: Grey-coloured stratus clouds
could mean that it is about to rain.
• Nimbus clouds: Dark stratus clouds are nimbus
clouds. These clouds bring rain.
Condensation
Sun
Evaporation
Fig.7 Water cycle
207
RAIN
e event of falling of water from clouds in
the sky to the surface of the Earth is called
rain.
It rains when the water vapour present in the
air condenses. Water while evaporating
leaves behind germs and soluble impurities.
erefore, rainwater is considered the
purest form of water available naturally.
However, while falling to the Earth, it
gathers dust particles and pollutants present
in the air. If the air is heavily polluted with
harmful acidic substances, it may result in
acid rain.
What Happens if it Rains Heavily?
Most of the rainfall in our country occurs in
the monsoon season. e amount of rainfall
varies from place to place. In some places, it
rains throughout the year, while some places
experience very little rainfall. But, if it rains
heavily, it may cause the water level of
lakes, ponds and rivers to rise, leading to a
condition called ood.
e effects of oods are as follows:
Fig.8 People affected by ood
208 Exploring Science-6
u Floods cause great damage to crops,
animals and human life. People and
animals may drown in ood water and
die.
u Flood water can damage structures such
as buildings.
u Floods can cause a shortage of food crops
as the entire harvest can get destroyed.
u Unhygienic conditions caused due to
o o ds can lead to the spread of
waterborne diseases like cholera and
typhoid.
u Scarcity of drinking water may occur as
the water can get contaminated.
u Floods can lead to landslides.
What Happens if it does not Rain for a
Long Time?
If it does not rain in a particular region for
a long time, it may lead to a condition
called drought.
A drought is an extended period of months
or years when a region does not receive any
rainfall. It can cause a lot of damage and
harm to life.
Fig.9 A drought-affected eld
e effects of droughts are as follows:
u e crop yield becomes less. e soil
dries up as it continues to lose water by
evaporation.
u Water shortage may cause the death of
people and livestock present.
u Food and fodder become scarce. It may
lead to malnutrition.
u Dehydration and other related diseases
are common during drought.
u People in drought-affected areas may
migrate due to lack of alternative food
sources. is may put civic and economic
pressure on non-drought areas.
Activity-4
Collect articles and pictures related to
drought and ood from old newspapers,
magazines, or internet. Paste them on a chart
paper. Also, write about the various reasons
that may have led to this condition and the
various problems faced by people in these
situations. Mention what we, as responsible
citizens, can do to extend our help to the
affected people.
CONSERVATION OF WATER
Conservation of water means to save water.
We must use water very carefully and avoid
wasting it.
Some of the ways by which we can conserve
water are as follows:
u Try to minimise the amount of water
required for bathing. Use a bucket instead
Water-A Natural Resource
of a shower.
u Never drain the water when there may be
another use for it. You can reuse the water
(used for washing vegetables, etc.) for
watering plants.
u Do not leave the water tap running while
brushing, shaving or washing your hands
or face.
u Turn off the taps immediately aer use.
u Make sure that your house has no leaky
taps.
u Avoid ushing the toilets unnecessarily.
u Adopt rainwater harvesting.
Fig.10 Queue for water
Rainwater Harvesting
Rainwater harvesting is the method of
collection and storage of rainwater from
rooops or from land surfaces for future
use. It is a very good method of increasing
the availability of water.
e water is generally stored in tanks or is
directed to the ground.
209
 Water used
to irrigate
Filtration unit

Concrete slab
Borewell cover

Water used
to irrigate
Percolation pit
Water Water
pump pump
Water tank
UV
Filter

Fig.11 Groundwater recharging

Fig.12 Storing rainwater in a tank
by rainwater harvesting
ere are two main techniques of rainwater Storing rainwater in tanks: In this method,
harvesting: the rainwater collected on the rooops is
u Groundwater recharging collected in a tank with the help of pipes, as
u Rainwater storage in tanks shown in Fig.12. is water needs to be
ltered before use as it may contain dirt and
Groundwater recharging: In this method,
debris from the rooops. Also, the storage
the rainwater is allowed to go into
tanks should have a tight cover to prevent the
the ground directly. By constructing
contamination of water, and also to prevent
percolation pits, rainwater percolates into
t h e bre e d i ng of m o s qu ito e s . O p e n
the ground more efficiently to recharge the
containers are not recommended for
groundwater.
collecting the rainwater.
Keywords
Unhygienic : Dirty, unclean.
Surface water : Water present on the Earth's surface in the form of oceans, rivers, lakes,
ponds and streams.
Groundwater : Water that gets stored underground.
Evaporation : Change of water into water vapour.
Condensation : Change of water vapour into water.
Transpiration : The process of loss of water by plants in the form of water-vapour.
Drought : Absence of rain in a particular region for a long time leading to severe
shortage of water.

210 Exploring Science-6

Flood : Abundance of rainfall in a particular region for a long time leading to
severe over ow of water.
Rainwater harvesting : Collection and storage of rainwater from rooops or from land
surface for future use.

Points to Remember
u About three-fourths of the Earth's surface is covered with water.
u We use water for many purposes, i.e., drinking, cooking, washing, bathing and even for
recreation.
u More than half of our body weight is water.
u About 70% of the Earth's surface is covered with water.
u Rainwater is the purest form of natural water. It is not salty and can be made t for drinking.
u While oceans are the largest source of water on Earth, rainwater is the primary source of all
water we use.
u Water present on the Earth's surface in the form of oceans, rivers, lakes, ponds and streams is
called surface water.
u Some of the rainwater seeps through the soil onto the non-porous rocks below. is is called
groundwater.
u e change of water into water vapour is called evaporation.
u Transpiration is the process of loss of water by plants in the form of water vapour.
u e change of liquid water into solid ice is called the freezing of water.
u e change of water vapour into tiny droplets of water is called condensation.
u e continuous circulation of water from the Earth's surface to the air and from the air back to
the Earth's surface is called the water cycle.
u A ood is a situation caused by the abundance of rainfall in a particular region leading to the
rise of water levels in lakes, ponds and rivers, which causes over owing.
u A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region does not receive any
rainfall.
u We must use water very carefully and, whenever possible, try to conserve it.
u Rainwater harvesting is the method of collection and storage of rainwater from rooops or
from land surface for future use.
u Rainwater harvesting can also be used for groundwater recharging.

Water-A Natural Resource 211

 Exercise
A. Tick (3) the Correct Option
1. How much of the Earth's surface is covered with water?
(a) About 20% (b) About 40%
(c) About 50% (d) About 70%
2. Which of the following is the purest form of water __________.
(a) surface water (b) groundwater
(c) rain water (d) riverwater
3. In nature, water exists in which state?
(a) Solid (b) Liquid
(c) Gaseous (d) All of these
4. e change of water into water vapour is called __________.
(a) evaporation (b) condensation
(c) freezing (d) transpiration
5. Flood causes great damage to which of the following?
(a) Humans (b) Crops
(c) Animals (d) All of these
B. Fill in the Blanks with Suitable Words
1. e tiny droplets of water form _____________ in the sky.
2. A _____________ is an extended period of months or years when a region does not receive
any rainfall.
3. Most of the water found on the Earth is in _____________ form.
4. Plants and animals also release water vapour during _____________.
5. e change of water vapour into tiny droplets of water is called _____________.
C. Very Short-Answer-Type Questions
1. Mention any two activities for which you use water.
2. Oceans cover around three-fourths of the Earth’s surface. True or False?
3. Name ve sources of water on Earth.
4. What is surface water?
5. What are springs?

212 Exploring Science-6

 6. Plants and animals release water vapour during respiration. True or False?
7. Rivers contribute for most of the water vapour in the air. True or False?
8. What is rain?
9. De ne : (a) ood (b) drought
D. Short-Answer-Type Questions
1. Differentiate between surface water and groundwater.
2. Write a brief note on various uses of water.
3. What is evaporation?
4. Why do wet clothes dry quicker in summer than in monsoon or winter?
5. What is transpiration?
6. What is the water-cycle?
7. Why is rainwater considered the purest form of natural water?
8. What is acid rain? How is it caused?
9. What is rainwater harvesting?
10. What happens when it rains heavily for too long?
E. Long-Answer-Type Questions
1. With the help of an activity, show that the heat of sunlight causes evaporation in nature.
2. Explain brie y how water-vapour enters the air through evaporation, transpiration and
respiration.
3. Explain in your own words how water circulates continuously between ocean and land.
4. What could be the effects of ood and drought?
5. List some of the ways by which we can conserve water.
6. Explain brie y the two techniques of rainwater harvesting.

HOTS
1. Rainwater can be used for the growth of plants and for drinking by animals. Sea water is
highly saline and cannot be used for the growth of plants or for drinking by animals. Why is
it so? Give reasons to support your answer.
2. List three activities through which you can save water. For each activity describe how would
you do it.

Water-A Natural Resource 213

 Activity Zone
A. Science Quiz/Puzzle
Down Across Ë
Ë

1. is helps in maintaining the body 3. Generated from owing water.

temperature of living organisms. 5. A waterborne disease.
2. ese dissolve in water and are 6. A source of water.
transported to various parts of the plant.
7. An aquatic animal.
4. Purest form of naturally occurring water.
8. Another source of water.

1 2
S N
U
3 4
E R Y

5
T D

W
6
G O N T
S
7
W H
8
R

Science Excursion
B. Along with your science teacher, plan a visit to a water treatment plant. Try to nd out the steps
involved in the puri cation of water before it can be distributed to households for daily use.

214 Exploring Science-6

 Effects of ood and drought
DROUGHT
An extended period of rainless weather that causes a considerable water imbalance

NORTH CHINA
GREAT FAMINE
DROUGHT 1876-79
1276-99
NORTHEASTERN
GREAT FAMINE CHINA AND
1876-79 NORTH KOREA
DROUGHT BOWL 2019
1930S

ETHIOPIAN MILLENNIUM
ANGOLA FAMINE DROUGHT
BOTSWANA 1983-85 2001-09
NAMIBIA
ZAMBIA
2019
Some of the visible Economic impact Social impact
signs of drought
Crop damage Crop loss Increased human health risk
Lowered lake levels Habitat damage Reduced incomes
Increased soil erosion Increased costs for food and water Rise in drought-related deaths
Reduced ow of rivers and streams Reduced hydropower output Increased risk of war
Increased dust storm prevalence with rising utility rates
Increased wild re risk
SIGNS OF DROUGHT BELOW GROUND Steep reduction in soil moisture
Decrease in water table

Climate change: occurring much faster than predicted

Devastating oods killed

more than 100 people in
Bihar and Assam
(Aug 2020)
Deadly heatwave (June 2019)
s
ea
Ar
e
on
Pr
ht
g
ou

Cyclone Amphan devastated

Dr

Cyclone Nisarga West Bengal and Odisha

devasted Mumbai in (May 2020)
(May 2020)

Worst drought in 70 years

(July 2019)

Water-A Natural Resource 215

e-Resources
Please visit the link given below or scan the QR code for more resources on
this Chapter:
https://www.megamindpublication.com/s-1-science/b-1-exploring-science-6/c-24/water-a-natural-resource.html

216 Exploring Science-6