Describe three natural states that affect the purity of water. How can it be minimised
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Answer:
Gravity is one major force that creates tides. In 1687, Sir Isaac Newton explained that ocean tides result from the gravitational attraction of the sun and moon on the oceans of the earth (Sumich, J.L., 1996).
Newton’s law of universal gravitation states that the gravitational attraction between two bodies is directly proportional to their masses, and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the bodies (Sumich, J.L., 1996; Thurman, H.V., 1994). Therefore, the greater the mass of the objects and the closer they are to each other, the greater the gravitational attraction between them (Ross, D.A. 1995).
Tidal forces are based on the gravitational attractive force. With regard to tidal forces on the Earth, the distance between two objects usually is more critical than their masses. Tidal generating forces vary inversely as the cube of the distance from the tide generating object. Gravitational attractive forces only vary inversely to the square of the distance between the objects (Thurman, H.V., 1994). The effect of distance on tidal forces is seen in the relationship between the sun, the moon, and the Earth’s waters.
Our sun is 27 million times larger than our moon. Based on its mass, the sun's gravitational attraction to the Earth is more than 177 times greater than that of the moon to the Earth. If tidal forces were based solely on comparative masses, the sun should have a tide-generating force that is 27 million times greater than that of the moon. However, the sun is 390 times further from the Earth than is the moon. Thus, its tide-generating force is reduced by 3903, or about 59 million times less than the moon. Because of these conditions, the sun’s tide-generating force is about half that of the moon (Thurman, H.V., 1994).
Diagram of distances between Earth, Sun and Moon
The relationship between the masses of the Earth, moon and sun and their distances to each other play a critical role in affecting the Earth's tides. Although the sun is 27 million times more massive than the moon, it is 390 times further away from the Earth than the moon. Tidal generating forces vary inversely as the cube of the distance from the tide-generating object. This means that the sun’s tidal generating force is reduced by 3903 (about 59 million times) compared to the tide-generating force of the moon. Therefore, the sun’s tide-generating force is about half that of the moon, and the moon is the dominant force affecting the Earth’s tides.
Factors that affect the purity of water
1. Natural contaminants
When it comes to discussing what factors affect water quality, natural contaminants are the ones which are completely outside our control. This includes contamination caused due to dried leaves, dead insects, bird droppings, animal feces reaching the natural sources of water.
2. Agricultural contaminants
These are the factors like agricultural runoffs, fertilizers, cleansers which reach the natural source of water and pollute it. Pesticides used on the crops also eventually seep down and contaminate the ground water.
3. Microbial contaminants
These are the contaminants like bacteria, viruses, cysts which comfortably dwell in the old and rusty industrial pipes and when water travels through these pipes to reach your home, they get added to it. There are other contaminants like algae and traces of rust which also get added in similar manner.
Now that you know what factors affect water quality, make sure that the water reaching your home is free from these contaminants. This can be easily assured by using an effective water purifier for your home. The ones that are the best, employ multiple stages of filtration.
The first stage uses carbon filtration technique to filter out chlorine and other chemicals. It also enhances the pH balance of the water. The second stage uses ion exchange to replace harmful lead and copper ions with useful sodium and potassium ones. It also uses sub micron filtration to remove all microbes from water.
To treat industrial wastes there should be special industrial waste treatment plants with every industry. Similarly there should also be urban runoff pounds to remove pollutants from runoff and to prevent floods. Toxic pesticides and Herbicides should be replaced with nontoxic ones or Pesticides should be replaced with biological control.