Three States of Water
and what it means for the garden

We all know what water is. But you may not know that water can exist in 3 states.
Solid - Ice
Liquid - Water
Gas - Water Vapor

All states of water are made of the same water molecules. The difference between the states is how fast the molecules are moving.

picture of students doing the states of water dance

Three experiments with states of water

  1. Water vapor to water - Take a glass of cold water and ice. Let it sit for a few minutes. Where do the drops of water on the outside of the glass come from? The air always has water vapor in it. When it touches something cold, it changes state to liquid. We say it condenses.
  2. Water to water vapor - Take two bowls of water. Fill one with cold water and one with hot water (not too hot). Put one hand in each bowl. How does it feel? Take your hands out and hold them up. Why do they both feel cool? The water on your hands is changing state to water vapor. We say it evaporates. Water vapor contains much more energy than liquid water, so it sucks in energy (heat) from your hands.
  3. Water to ice - Fill two baloons with water. (Don't throw them). Put one in the freezer over night. Measure them both (use centimeters). Which is larger. Ice takes up more space than the same amount of water. This is very unusual in nature, and very important.

Water is changing state all of the time, and this is very important to the garden.

  1. Water vapor to water - Go into the garden early in the morning and feel the grass. Why is it wet? Where does the water come from? When the earth gets cool at night water vapor condenses on cool surfaces, just like the water on the glass of ice water.
  2. Water to water vapor - Cut two flowers from the garden (or use two stalks of celery). Put one in a glass of water and the other in a glass with no water. After an hour, how do they look. Why did the flower with no water wilt? Plants pump water through them all the time. They suck water through their roots. It goes up to their leaves where it evaporates and keeps the plants cool.
  3. Look at the garden before and after the first freeze. What happens to the plants? Why would a freeze kill plants? Did it kill all of the plants? Why did some of them live?