At certain range of temperature, it is observed that water shows unusual or abnormal characteristics or behaviour compare to other liquids show. In scientific terms, it is called anomalous behaviour of water that I’m going to explain here.
Need to understand anomalous behaviour of water
Have you ever thought how aquatic plants can and animals survive in the cold climatic regions, even when the atmospheric temperature goes below 0° C?
And, have you thought about why do water supply pipes break in winter and even rocks crack?
Guess. It happens due to the unique behaviour of wonder liquid, water. This is nothing but the anomalous behaviour of water. We will learn why water behaves like this and what are affecting factors in detail.
What does Anomalous behaviour of water mean?
Anomalous means something that is different from what is normal or usual. Liquids expand when they are heated and contract when cooled. It is a general pattern as well as behaviour of liquids.
But, water has an exceptional behaviour for a certain range of temperature. Water shows anomalous behaviour for the range of 0° C to 4° C temperature.
Why anomalous behaviour?
When the water is heated from 0° C to 4° C , it starts to contract instead of expanding. It contracts maximum to attain minimum volume at temperature 4° C. Here, water has the highest density as density has an inverse relationship with volume.
On the other hand, as we cool the water at the range of 4° C to 0° C, it starts to expand. At the temperature of 4 ° C it starts to expand instead of contraction and expands maximum at 4° C. This behaviour of water for the range of temperature 0° C to 4° C is called Anomalous behaviour of water.
How do aquatic animals and plants survive in frozen lakes in cool regions?
In polar regions or cool regions we often saw frozen lakes. But, they have just upper layer frozen and not the entire lake or water body. It is the result of anomalous behaviour of water.
As the upper layer of water starts to cool during winter, till 4° C it contracts. At this point of temperature water has the highest density. When water cools beyond this range up to 0° C, it starts to expand instead of contracting.
Water at 0° C is lighter or less dense compared to the water at 4° C. Dense water sinks down and lighter water rises to the upper surface. This cycle continues and the upper layer converts into the sheet of the ice. As ice is less dense than water it floats on water and inhibits the flow of heat inside.
Secret of life behind the survival of life
Water beneath the ice sheet has enough oxygen and heat to survive aquatic plants and animals for a certain period of time. In this way, Anomalous behaviour of water is the secret of life behind the survival of aquatic plants and animals inside the frozen water bodies.
Why do water supply pipes break in winter?
Obviously, the reason behind this is the anomaly of water. During winter season, temperature decreases and water inside the supply pipes gets freezed
As frozen water expands at the temperature range of 4° C to 0° C which requires more space to accommodate inside the supply pipes. Due to the increased volume of hardened ice, supply pipes get breaks.
Similarly, when water seeps through cracks inside the rocks , it gets accumulated in rainy seasons. In winters, the atmospheric temperature falls, sometimes below 0° C. When temperature starts to decrease below 4° C, water content inside the rocks starts to expand due to anomalous behaviour of water, so the rock cracks.
It was all about the Anomalous behaviour of water and the mechanism behind some natural phenomena related to it.
Solved questions on anomalous behaviour of water
Let’s see some important solved questions for more clear understanding of subject matter.
Q.1. What is mean by water?
Ans: Water is wonder liquid. It is universal solvent and used for various activities and purposes. Water is life supporting system.
Q. 2. Why does water behave unusual ways?
Ans: When water is heated front from 0° to 4°, it contracts instead to expand. And, when we cool water from 4° to 0° it starts expanding instead to contract. This happens due to density and volume relationship. Actually, density and volume has inverse relationship.
Q. 3. Why does water break pipes in winter?
Ans: In winter when temperature decreases, the water inside the pipes cools and expands due to anomalous behaviour of water. Consequently, pipes breaks due to increase in size.
Q. 4. What is the secret of life under frozen water?
Ans: Water becomes lighter at the temperature of zero degree compare to four degree due to anomalous behaviour of water. Hence, zero degree water reaches at the surface and four degree water sinks below. This is the reason why aquatic life survive in the frozen water.
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