Water really is the stuff of life. From washing to drinking and from the rain lashing against winter windows to the waves crashing against summer-holiday shores, it affects everything we do, and that’s before we even begin to consider how important it is to the rest of the planet. In Britain, of course, we’re all a bit spoiled when it comes to water; turn on the tap and there it is – but it isn’t quite as simple for many of the rest of the world’s population and around the globe, getting access to clean water is a major struggle for many people.
So how much do you know about the magical substance that plays such a big part in all our lives? Here’s our quick quiz to let you test your knowledge of the wet stuff and find out!
The answers are at the bottom and there are even a couple of bonus points for any brainy water experts to pick up along the way; good luck and have fun!
1. Roughly how much of the Earth’s surface is covered in water?
- a) 17%
- b) 57%
- c) 70%
2. How much of world’s freshwater is permanently frozen?
- a) One third
- b) Half
- c) Two thirds
3. What is the boiling point of water?
- a) 100ºC
- b) 4ºC
- c) 0ºC
4. Why does ice float?
- a) Because it’s full of air.
- b) Because ice is lighter than cold water.
- c) Because ice crystals are magnetic.
5. What is soft water?
- a) Water containing little dissolved calcium.
- b) Purified water containing no dissolved minerals.
- c) Thawed ice.
6. Roughly how much water does the average person in Britain use daily?
- a) 40 litres
- b) 140 litres
- c) 240 litres
7. Which of the following plays NO part in the natural water cycle?
- a) Saponification
- b) Precipitation
- c) Transpiration
8. How many people in the world do NOT have a supply of clean water?
- a) 1 in every 600
- b) 1 in every 60
- c) 1 in every 6
9. How much of the illness and death in the developing world comes from water-borne disease?
- a) 80%
- b) 50%
- c) 20%
10. Water is made up of just two chemical elements – but which two?
- a) Hydrogen and carbon
- b) Hydrogen and oxygen
- c) Carbon and oxygen
Answers
So – how did you do?
- All 12 points – Deep blue sea!
- 7 to11 points – Mighty river!
- 3 to 6 points – Tumbling stream!
- 0 to 2 points – Small pond!
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