H2O Properties/Facts: Electronic Resources

This is a collection of Electronic Resources (websites, software, etc.) about the properties of water. Separate collections of Print Resources and National Academies Press e-Books are also available.

Key: E = Elementary (K–5), I = Intermediate (6–8), HS = High School (9–12), C = College, G = General Public

Starting Points

Water Science for Schools (E, I, HS, C, G)
Water Structure and Behavior (HS, C, G)
Activity Idea Place, from 123child.com. (P, E)
This unit on water includes poems, art projects, easy science experiments, games, creative play, books and miscellaneous activities that can be done to help children learn more about water.
Adhesion/Cohesion, from TOPScience.org Learning Systems. (E, I)
The intent of the TOPS web site is to make wonderfully integrated, inexpensive, creative science and math available to everyone. TOPS was among the first to produce quality hands-on science and math lessons using stuff you already have or can get cheaply.
Atmospheric Optics, from Les Cowley. (I, HS, C, G)
Light playing on water drops, dust or ice crystals in the atmosphere produces a host of visual spectacles — rainbows, halos, glories, coronas and many more. While some can be seen almost every day or so, others are once in a lifetime sights. Find out where to see them and how they form. Then seek and enjoy them outdoors.
Diffusion of Water with Polymers (PDF), from Polymer Ambassadors. (I, HS)
Experiments to investigate the movement of water into and out of a polymer. Gummi Bears are made of gelatin and sugar. Gelatin forms large 3-D matrices which give structural support to jellies and jams. Plant spikes and Gro Beasts are made with polyacrylamide. Water will flow from an area of high concentration to one of low concentration.
The Exploratorium: The Museum of Science, Art, and Human Perception, (I)
Online since 1993, the Exploratorium was one of the first science museums to build a site on the World Wide Web. This site now contains over 15,000 Web pages exploring hundreds of different topics. Fifteen million visitors use the web site a year. Search “water” to learn about online exhibits, activities, and experiments.
Freshwater Website: Properties of Water, from Environment Canada. (I, HS, C, G)
How Stuff Works.
HowStuffWorks is widely recognized as the leading source for clear, reliable explanations of how everything around us actually works.
Can water go bad?.
Does drinking ice water burn calories?.
How do polymer crystals work and why do they absorb so much water?.
How does a water softener work?.
How much water is there on earth?.
If water is made up of hydrogen and oxygen, why can’t we breathe underwater?.
What is activated charcoal and why is it used in filters?.
International Association for the Properties of Water and Steam. (HS, C, G)
IAPWS is an international non-profit association of national organizations concerned with the properties of water and steam, particularly thermophysical properties and other aspects of high-temperature steam, water and aqueous mixtures that are relevant to thermal power cycles and other industrial applications. See FAQs About Water and Steam for excellent images and information on topics such as:
International Critical Tables of Numerical Data, Physics, Chemistry and Technology (1st Electronic Edition), Edited by Washburn, E.W. Knovel.
This classic and well-known reference was originally published for the National Research Council in 7 volumes. It contains an enormous amount of critical data on inorganic and organic compounds, and pure substances. The original 1000-page index is hyperlinked to each entry’s appropriate page.
Knovel Critical Tables, from Knovel.
This important, interactive Knovel reference contains tables of physical, solvent, and thermodynamic properties. The physical property tables alone include over 21,000 inorganic and organic compounds, and pure substances. The solvent property tables have data for 385 common solvents, and the thermodynamic property tables have data for over 15,000 compounds. Additionally, several tables make use of the interactive Equation Plotter to plot thermodynamic properties as a function of temperature.
NIST Chemistry WebBook, from the National Institute for Science and Technology.
This site provides thermochemical, thermophysical, and ion energetics data compiled by NIST under the Standard Reference Data Program.
NIST Data Gateway, from the National Institute for Science and Technology. (HS, C, G)
The NIST Data Gateway provides easy access to NIST scientific and technical data. These data cover a broad range of substances and properties from many different scientific disciplines. The Gateway includes links to selected free online NIST databases as well as to information on NIST databases available for purchase. Search “Water” as a substance name to find information.
The pH Factor, from the Miami Museum of Science.
Acid or base? Find out with the pH Factor resource! Available in English, Chinese, and Japanese.
Science is Fun — Home Experiments.
Learn how to bend water.
Smile Program Chemistry Index, from the Illinois Institute of Technology. (HS, C, G)
This site contains a collection of almost 200 single concept lessons. These lessons may be freely copied and used in a classroom but they remain the copyright property of the author(s) and the directors of the SMILE program. The Chemistry lessons are divided into the following categories: Basic Tools and Principles; Atomic and Molecular Structure (including Moles); States of Matter; Types and Control of Chemical Reactions; and Chemistry of Elements, Compounds, and Materials. Use “find” feature in web browser to locate lessons about water.
Smithsonian Physical Tables (9th Revised Edition). from Forsythe, W.E. Knovel
Originally published by Smithsonian Institution Press, this classic reference source comprises 901 tables of general interest to scientists and engineers, and of particular interest to those involved with physics in its larger sense. All entries in the index are hyperlinked to their page numbers.
Water FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions), from Lenntech Water Treatment and Air Purification Holding B.V., Netherlands. (I, HS, C, G)
Includes FAQs about water chemistry, water cycle, water quantity, water quality, water pollution, water purification, drinking water, water usage, water and health, water energy, water ecology, water microbiology, and water softener. Also includes a water glossary.
Water Properties, from Iowa Project WET (Water Education for Teachers). (E, I)
Includes states of water, adhesion and cohesion, surface tension and capillary action.
Water Science for Schools, from the U.S. Geological Survey. (E, I, HS, C, G)
Offers information on many aspects of water, along with pictures, data, maps, and an interactive center where you share ideas and test your water knowledge.
Water Structure and Behavior, from Dr. Martin Chaplin, Chemist, London South Bank University. (HS, C, G)
Liquid water (H2O) is the most remarkable substance. However, it is often perceived to be pretty ordinary. We wash in water, fish in water, swim in water, drink water and cook with water. We are about two-thirds water and require water to live. Because of its clear importance, water is the most studied material on Earth. It comes as a surprise, therefore, to find that liquid water’s behavior and function are so poorly understood, not only by people in general, but also by scientists working with it everyday.
Water seems, at first sight, to be a very simple molecule, consisting of just two hydrogen atoms attached to an oxygen atom. Indeed, there are very few molecules that are smaller. The size of the water molecule, however, belies the complexity of its properties and unique capabilities seem to fit ideally into the requirements for life as can no other molecule.
Water Supply of the World, from the Information Please Fact Monster. (E, I, HS)

Copyright © 2004 American Chemical Society