Water Distribution Lab
Problem How much water on Earth is available to humans to drink?
Materials
1 L beaker
eyedropper
10 mL and 100 mL graduated cylinder
blue food coloring
Procedure Making a Model of Earth’s Water
1.
2.
3.
Fill the one-liter beaker with 1,000 mL tap water, and add enough blue food coloring to make it a rich
shade of blue.
This beaker of water represents all the water on the planet. Pour 28 ml from it into a 100 mL graduated
cylinder. The amount left in the 1,000 mL beaker is water from the ocean.
The amount in the 100 mL cylinder is all the fresh water on the planet. This cannot be used readily since
most of this is frozen. Use the eyedropper to transfer 5 drops of water into the 10 mL cylinder. The
amount left in the 100 mL cylinder is the amount of water in frozen icecaps and glaciers. The amount in
the 10 mL cylinder represents liquid freshwater found in ponds, lakes, rivers, and groundwater.
Conclusion Questions:
1. Describe how much water is available for human use compared with the rest of the water on Earth.
2. Where is the majority of freshwater stored on earth?
3. What is the major threat /issue with where the majority of freshwater is stored?
4. Where is the majority of all water stored on earth? What is the issue with having our water stored here?
5. Critical Thinking: Scientists have found a way to easily melt the glaciers and ice caps on the earth’s surface. How
would this affect the earth, and is it a good idea or a bad idea?
Please respond to the following True/False Questions
6._____There is more salt water than fresh water on Earth.
7._____People can drink salt water right out of the ocean.
8._____There is more water stored in ice caps and glaciers than in all the lakes and rivers of the world combined.
9._____ Most of our freshwater comes from underground.
10. Which circle graph correctly shows how much of the Earth’s surface is covered by water and by land?