All About Water

Introduction

Is water a mixture? To answer this understand, we need to understand what a mixture really is. A mixture is any combination of two or more substances that do not cause a chemical reaction. The two types of mixtures are homogeneous and heterogeneous. Some substances such as oil and water are considered immiscible (cannot be mixed together) but they can be forced into an emulsion by the addition of several different chemicals. Is water a mixture? We will answer that later in this article.

What Is a Mixture?

When two or more substances are combined and no chemical reaction occurs, the result is regarded as a mixture. This brings up the question about water. Is water a mixture?

Is Water a Mixture?

Water is not a mixture because the hydrogen and oxygen atoms do combine with each other on the molecular level. Although the atoms can be separated from each other by electrolysis, they were at one time combined by a chemical bond. Therefore water is considered a compound, a molecule made up of two or more elements.

What Types of Mixtures Are There?

Is water a mixture when it is combined with salt? No, but it is one part of the mixture. By most chemical definitions there are only two types of mixtures, homogeneous and heterogeneous.  A mixture is regarded as homogeneous when the different types of molecules are evenly distributed throughout, such as salt water. It is heterogeneous when the different substances are not evenly distributed.

Can Oil and Water Ever Combine?

Is water a mixture when it is combined with oil? Oil and water are usually immiscible; they do not mix. When a jar of oil and water is shaken, the two substances will intermingle for a short time until the droplets of oil re-blend into larger globules and finally remove themselves into a separate layer. Many chemical substances are available that can be introduced into the water to prevent the oil droplets from recombining. When the oil droplets remain suspended in water, they form an emulsion.

For decades, Mars has been a source of mystery and wonder. With a diameter of roughly 4,222 miles, a size nearly three fifths of Earth, and a location just outside of the habitable zone, mankind has long marveled at the “red planet” and wondered what mysteries it holds. One question scientists are currently trying to answer is whether or not there is water on Mars. If there is water on Mars, where is it located? Where did it go? And how does Mars having water change the current assumptions about the “red planet”?

Is There Water on Mars?

Mars and water are two words that astronomers have tried to link for years. Despite the extensive network of dried river beds that dot the martian surface and the evident polar ice caps that rest at the north and south poles, it wasn’t until 2008 that the NASA’s Pheonix Mars lander, performed a soil sample and confirmed trace amounts of water on its surface soil.

What Does Water on Mars Mean?

Biologists agree that water is required for organic life to flourish. On Earth, the primary reason why organisms could evolve and survive was due to having available to help perform various metabolic activities. Water on Mars would then mean that life (though most likely bacteria) once, if not still does, exist on the once-thought dead planet. Such discoveries would have tremendous impacts on future space explorations and also conform that life exists beyond Earth’s atmosphere.

Is the Water on Mars the Same as Earth’s?

Water on Mars, according to NASA, has the same composition as water on Earth. In fact, Mars’ north pole has an amount of ice stored equivalent to the size of Greenland, in relation to Mars’ size would be a sufficient regulator of ocean temperature and pH balance. The only significant difference is that the ice caps on Mars and the water stored in them would be a mix of frozen water and carbon dioxide.

Why Did Water on Mars Freeze Over?

Considering the riverbeds on Mars and the water stored within the polar caps, scientists assume that the planet did in fact have liquid water during a time when the planet was warmer. A current theory on why the water disappeared is that Mars lies just outside this solar system’s habitable zone. Over millions of years, the lack of heat and the large amount of radiation and asteroid collisions most likely stripped away any type of atmosphere on Mars and water migrated to the poles and froze over as a result.

Is it possible to drink too much water? Water plays a vital role in maintaining homeostasis in the human body. It also plays other vital roles; including transporting nutrients, maintaining body temperature, lubricating joints, and reducing fluid retention (Columbia, 2007). However, consuming too much water can be harmful. It can lead to water intoxication and hyponatremia (Harvard Health Publications (HHP), 2008). It is difficult to consume too much water but it can never hurt to understand just how much water should be consumed on a daily basis.

The Potential Negative Effects of Drinking Too Much Water

Drinking too much water can lead to water intoxication, which is also known as hyponatremia. When hyponatremia occurs in the human body, it experiences a lower than normal concentration of sodium in the blood. It is crucial that sodium levels are kept at a healthy level because sodium is an electrolyte that helps maintain muscle function, along with nerve function as well. Sodium also helps maintain a healthy blood pressure in the human body.

The People Who Drink Too Much Water

Many people who receive cancer treatments or are marathon runners experience hyponatremia because they intake a large amount of water. Hyponatremia is treated by reducing the amount of water a person intakes. In severe cases the condition is treated as a medical emergency, in which a doctor will increase the person’s sodium levels through intravenous fluids (PennState, 2011).

Symptoms of Consuming Too Much Water

Many people who consume too much water are not diagnosed with water intoxication because the symptoms go unrecognized. These symptoms include disorientation, nausea, vomiting, and confusion; sometimes mental state changes and psychotic symptoms do occur. It is always important to consider one may be suffering from hyponatremia if they are enduring these symptoms because the condition can lead to coma, seizures, or even death (Farrell & Bower, 2003).

How Much Water Is Too Much Water?

Two to three cups of water per hour throughout the course of a day is plenty; this is according to Harvard Men’s Health Watch. This amount should be increased if one is sweating heavily. It is important to keep in mind that sport drinks are of no added value than water.

Too Much Water: An Improbability

To keep it simple, a person should drink when they feel thirsty, but to never force a consumption of a large amount of water. It is also important to remember that if a person begins to gain weight, feel bloated, or begins to experience nausea and vomiting accompanied with disorientation, they may be seeing the beginning signs of hyponatremia (HHP, 2008).