Water is an essential part of our everyday lives; we need water to quench our thirst, to have our bath, to make our meals, to survive. The words of renowned poet, H. Auden: “Thousands have lived without love, not one without water” goes to show the essentiality of water and how fundamental it is to life form existence. Water covers about 71% of the earth’s surface and the human body is made up of about 60% of water. It is trite knowledge that water is one of the three basic needs of all living things, without which no creature on earth will survive.

Water is a substance composed of the chemical elements hydrogen and oxygen and existing in gaseous, liquid and solid states. The chemical formula for water is H₂O. The two major types of water are ground water and surface water. The latter is water that is on the earth’s surface in oceans, lakes, rivers, icecaps, glaciers whereas the former is water beneath the earth’s surface.

Water has both physical and chemical properties. The most basic and widely known physical property of water is its appearance which is that water is colorless, odorless and tasteless. However, other physical properties of water include the boiling point of water. This is the temperature at which water changes its state from liquid to gaseous state otherwise known as steam or vapor. The boiling point of water is 100°C or 212°F. The freezing point of water is another physical property of water. This is the temperature at which the water changes from liquid to solidstate, otherwise known as ice or frozen water. The freezing point of water is 0°C or 32°F. Another physical property of water is that it has a polar nature. This means that water is capable of dissolving more substances than any other liquid. This is why water called the universal solvent. Other physical properties of water according to unacademy are:1. The density of water which is the ratio of mass of water to its volume depending on the temperature of the water.2. The specific heat capacity of water which is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of water.3. The viscosity of water which is the tendency of water to resist any change in its shape or motion4. The surface tension of water which is the capacity of water to get shrunken in the minimum surface area.

One of the chemical properties of water is that is that it can act as both acid and base. This means that water is amphoteric in nature.

Water can be classified into two types: Hard and soft water. This classification is based on the mineral content of water. The hardness of water is determined by the amount of calcium and magnesium present in it. Hard water contains high amounts of calcium and magnesium while soft water is free from these minerals.

The benefits of water are endless. In the human body, one of the many benefits of drinking water are:

Hydration: Health experts recommend that an adult person should take eight- ounce glasses of water daily which is about 2 litres of water. Staying hydrated also helps in maintaining one’s body temperature. 

Lubrication: Water is crucial for many bodily functions such as lubricating the joints, Transportation: Water delivers oxygen throughout the body, preventing kidney damage.

Digestion: Water aids digestion. Health experts confirm that drinking water before, during and after one’s meal will help the body break down the food more easily.

Conclusively, the importance of the water cannot be overstated. The popular saying: “water is life” to a great degree depicts the immeasurable value of water. Water goes beyond its chemical formation, water is vital for the existence of all living creatures.