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Ice to Water Vapor: The Conditions of Water

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Basics on the topic Ice to Water Vapor: The Conditions of Water

What is the Water Cycle?

In primary school, the three states of water are examined in detail: the solid state, the liquid state, and the gaseous state. However, water has many other characteristics:

  • Pure water is colorless, odorless, and tasteless.
  • Humans, animals, and plants need water to survive.
  • Water can transform and, for example, appear as a liquid in the bathtub, as ice cubes in a drink as a solid, or as water vapor from the cooking pot in a gaseous state.

In what form water appears mainly depends on the temperature and also on the air pressure.

Water can assume three states: solid, liquid, and gaseous, depending on its temperature and air pressure.

You can find an overview of the three states of water with examples in the chart below.

State of Water Example
solid frozen lakes
liquid bottled water
gaseous vapor / steam

Experiments on States of Matter

Water is adaptable and can change between the states of solid, liquid, and gas. How does this work? The transition of the states of water is examined in primary school using simple experiments.

  • From Liquid to Solid: If water is cooled significantly and the temperature drops below the freezing point (32 degrees Fahrenheit), the water particles slow down, and the water freezes. Liquid water becomes ice. The state is now solid.

  • From Solid to Liquid:
    When the temperature of water rises above 32 degrees Fahrenheit, the water particles move faster again. The ice melts, and the result is water again. The state is now liquid.

  • From Liquid to Gaseous: If water is heated, and the temperature rises above the boiling point (212 degrees Fahrenheit), the water particles move faster and faster, and the water evaporates visibly. Liquid water in the pot becomes water vapor and is invisible. The state is now gaseous.

  • From Gaseous to Liquid:
    If the water vapor cools down quickly, tiny water droplets form from the water vapor, which settle on, for example, a bathroom mirror. The water condenses, and the state becomes liquid again.

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Special Characteristics of States of Matter

There is another change of state – from gaseous to solid. This happens rather rarely. This occurs when warm room air, which also contains moisture, reaches a freezing cold window. In this case, gaseous water becomes a solid state directly without first becoming liquid. You can sometimes observe this phenomenon in the form of frost flowers on the windowpane in the winter.

By the way, some researchers speak of a fourth state of matter that lies between liquid and solid. In this state, water becomes almost gelatinous, and the ratio of hydrogen to oxygen changes.

At sofatutor, there are worksheets and exercises on States of Water in Elementary School.

Frequently Asked Questions about the States of Water

What is a state of matter?
What states of matter can water have?
How many states of matter can water take on?
How does water become solid?
How does water vapor become water again?
How does gaseous water become solid?
How does ice become water vapor?
How does the state of matter change?
What is gaseous water called?

Transcript Ice to Water Vapor: The Conditions of Water

Phew, what a hot day! Now Uma needs a cold glass of lemonade! Full of anticipation she has already taken out the ice cubes this morning. Mmmhh...where have the ice cubes gone? To unravel the mystery, let's look at "Ice to Water Vapor":"The Conditions of Water" together. This is particularly exciting because water can CHANGE its state. Let's take a look at exactly what can happen to water. Frozen water is what we call ice, just like Uma's ice cubes. Ice is water in the solid state. Ice can melt when it warms above thirty-two degrees. Melting means that something becomes liquid. We now have water. There is still one more state! Heat can cause water to evaporate. Evaporation means that water becomes gaseous. We call evaporated water, steam, or water vapor. Gaseous also means that we cannot see the water vapor, like air.

When it gets colder, water vapor can condense. Condensation means that water vapor changes state and becomes liquid. Liquid water can also freeze again. In order for water to freeze, it must be below thirty-two degrees. When water is solid again, we call it ice. Uma knows what happened to her ice cubes, and she already has a new idea how to get the lemonade cold. But WHAT exactly happens when water changes its state? Water consists of individual water particles. If the water is frozen, the water particles form hexagonal crystals. The water particles bond with each other, which is why ice is so hard. "As soon as it gets warmer, above thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit, the water particles start to move more strongly." However, they stay together in smaller groups that move around in a disorganized pattern. The ice has melted, now you have a liquid in front of you. The warmer the water gets, the more the water particles move. Some move so much that they break away from their group. The water is now water vapor. I wonder what idea Uma came up with to chill her lemonade? Before we clear that up, let's briefly recap what you learned today:

Water exists in three states: SOLID, also known as ice; LIQUID, which is water; and GAS, we call water vapor. Ice melts at above thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit, turning it into water. If it gets even warmer, the water can evaporate into water vapor. If it gets cold again, water vapor can condense and thus become liquid again. Below thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit, water will freeze and turn to ice. Now you know the three states of water and the terms you can use to describe how water transforms.

Uma put her lemonade in the freezer. OH, now that looks a little TOO cold! Well, at least we know it will melt again.

4 comments
4 comments
  1. Cool 😎

    From Rosie , about 2 months ago
  2. Funny

    From Christabel, about 1 year ago
  3. hahahahaha lol
    :D

    From Eian, about 1 year ago
  4. that was as cool as ice

    From Hope, over 1 year ago

Ice to Water Vapor: The Conditions of Water exercise

Would you like to apply the knowledge you’ve learned? You can review and practice it with the tasks for the video Ice to Water Vapor: The Conditions of Water .
  • What are the forms of water around us?

    Hints

    Ice is water in the solid form.

    When ice melts, it turns into liquid.

    Water vapor is invisible.

    Solution
    • Solid - Igloo, Ice
    • Liquid - Rain, Ocean
    • Gas - Fog, Steam
  • How can Uma cool her lemonade?

    Hints

    Ice can help to cool liquids.

    Water can change its state. Where can she put her drink to cool it down?

    Solution

    To cool her lemonade, Uma can do all of the following:

    • She can put the lemonade in the fridge.
    • She can put the lemonade in the freezer.
    • She can add some ice to the lemonade.

  • Find the matching pairs.

    Hints

    Water consists of individual water particles.

    This is what the particles look like when water is in solid form.

    Above 32 degrees, water particles start to move more strongly and form smaller, disorganized groups.

    In water vapor form, water particles move so much that they break away from their groups.

    Solution
    • Water is made up of these - Water particles
    • Water particles form hexagonal crystals - Solid
    • Water particles stay together in small disorganized groups - Liquid
    • Water particles break away from their groups - Gas
  • Save Yeti's habitat from the Snow Witch!

    Hints

    Ice can melt when it warms above 32 degrees.

    Heat can cause water to evaporate.

    Condensation means that water vapor changes state to become liquid.

    Liquid water can freeze again below 32 degrees.

    Solution
    • To release Yeti from the ice chamber, you should quickly melt the ice.
    • The snow witch is at a frozen lake and she has already turned the ice to water. She is making the water evaporate to become water vapor by heating it up!
    • Yeti defeated the snow witch - but quick, use your cooling wand to condense the water vapor to liquid!
    • Keep cooling the water until it freezes again and Yeti's habitat is restored.
  • What happened to Uma's ice cubes when she forgot they were there?

    Hints

    Melting means that something becomes liquid.

    Ice melts above 32 degrees.

    Solution

    When Uma returned, she found her ice cubes had melted and turned to liquid or water.

  • What happens to water when it changes states?

    Hints

    Wet clothes have water and heat can cause water to evaporate.

    When it gets colder, water vapor can condensate.

    Liquid water can freeze when it is below 32 degrees.

    Water vapor can change state and become liquid.

    Solution
    • Wet clothes dry in the sun because of evaporation.
    • Rain clouds forming in the sky is an example of condensation.
    • Ice skating on a lake in the winter is possible because of freezing.
    • Rain can melt snow and make large puddles.
    • Place a cold plate over boiling water and you will find drops of water.