Water is essential to life; we rely on it for drinking, cooking, bathing and cleaning purposes. But have you ever considered how this water got from the ocean to your tap?
In this article, we will take an exciting journey that water takes from ocean to faucet. From your questions about its source all the way through its delivery system! So sit back and take part in this fascinating voyage of fresh and clean water from coast to tap!
What Is the Water Cycle? Water is an invaluable renewable resource that cycles from sky to ground and back again naturally, playing an integral part in human existence. Rain begins the cycle by falling from above as drops of moisture; its flow then continues through other water bodies until finally being collected in reservoirs, such as rivers. These droplets travel to the ocean where they mix with salty, mineral-rich seawater to form storm clouds containing both fresh and salty water, creating raindrops which contain both types of moisture. When this rainfall finally falls on land it can either soak into the soil or become groundwater before eventually being stored in lakes or underground aquifers until needed again - some people rely on private wells while others utilize public supplies as sources for their daily water needs.
When water is needed, it is pumped from large reservoirs (similar to small lakes) and stored underground using underground pipes. You've likely seen these massive tanks on hills around your town or city that store thousands of gallons for emergencies like droughts or fires. Finally, at a water treatment plant the water is filtered to remove impurities or bacteria and become safe for human consumption.
Filtered and treated water is then transported through pipes directly to your house, where it connects with your faucet for fresh, clean drinking water to consume or use in other ways.
What Is a Faucet? A faucet is a mechanical device used to regulate the flow of water. Engineers design faucets using two essential engineering concepts - simple machines and fluid (water) flow. In their designs, engineers must consider both force of the water against its stopper (pressure), as well as resistance provided by its stopper to water flow - these factors can be modelled using F=P*A; with F being force of water on stopper (pressure), P being pressure of the water supply, and A being the area of openings between these concepts.
To better comprehend how a faucet operates, have your students consider different ways they could use simple machines to reduce water flow from a bucket or bottle, before designing their own new type of faucet that meets their individual needs.