My grandfather seems to think that rain water is purified.can you tell me something about rain water?

Answer 1

Your grandfather didn't get that old being wrong ya know! Rain water has no salts or any other dissolved solids in the rain drops!

You have to think of how the rain water gets up there. There it sits, in a dirty puddle or maybe in the ocean, salty, dirty, yuk! But then slowly, because of winds and heat from the sun, small amounts of water evaporate from the puddle, little wisps of water gas. Water (as a gas) much like steam, is unable to carry anything with it. This evaporated water cannot hold anything dissolved in it. So it leaves behind the dirt and pollutants and salt. Once the water has built up enough in the air to condensate (rain clouds) then it will fall to the earth, and if you catch it, before it hits the ground and gets dirty again... It will be nice and clean!

You can try this at home. Take a very small glass of water, fill it about 1/4 of the way with water, add some table salt and stir it until it is dissolved. You will have a glass of salty water, yuk, but if you let it sit on your window sill and don't play with it, you all the water will evaporate and leave you with nothing but the salt you put into it.

If you think about this, and read more, you can find other ways of seeing this happen, you may even be able reclaim the water and drink it.

By the way, there are some pollutants that can cling onto rain water causing acid rain. These are gaseous pollutants like chlorine gas and some others, But in general, your grandpa knows his stuff.

Cheers!

Answer 2

Rain water is purified in some senses but it still contains some minerals and dirt. It is usually always safe to drink except when it is called acid rain. Rain starts with water that evaporates from a large body of water such as the ocean or a local lake. The evaporated water can clutter up and form with dust to form clouds. When enough of the evaporated water collects together enough it falls down to the ground called rain. Acid rains forms when it is combined with pollution instead of dust particles which makes it harmful for everything it falls upon.

Answer 3

I think a lot of environmentalists exaggerate, but acid rain's not entirely made up. Different locations are going to have safer rain water than others. Mostly, it's safe to drink though - how many people do you see fall over after eating snow? But water's not the only thing that evaporates, so it's not the only thing raining down on you either.

Answer 4

As water evaporates into the air salts and other contaminates are left behind, much as happens when water is distilled. This evaporation results in the residual water having higher levels of things like salts (as in the oceans) and the evaporated water being devoid of these. As the water forms clouds and falls through the sky it can pick up some dust and pollutants (like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, as for acid rain), but these are in low concentrations relative to the salts and other compounds left behind by evaporation. Your grandfather is correct - the rain water is purified, but in these modern times it may not be totally pure.

Answer 5

Actually, many raindrops are formed around a particle of dust in the atmosphere (that's assuming the particular raindrop doesn't start as ice or snow in the upper atmosphere), and as such, will always have a small amount of dust in it. Probably not enough to worry about.
However, depending on what it falls through, or if it forms around a particulate pollutant, it can be toxic to some degree. Think of acid rain. Sometimes acid rain forms as a result of man-made pollutants, as in vehicle or industrial pollutants in the air, and sometimes it is caused by a raindrop forming around airborne volcanic ash, which can carry a high amount of acid.
That kind of rain is dangerous, and NOT pure at all.

Answer 6

Rain water is pure water when it leaves the clouds. The issue is that it can pick up contaminants on the way to the ground depending on the air quality in your particular location.

Answer 7

i think of which you will opt to persist with the advice of your interior of sight water organisation on that one. I understand your frustration, yet water that has come from the drain pipes and the butts could have algae starting to be on it plus an infection from the air. And that is been status for a collectively as. despite if, I surely have merely remembered you may get water purification pills to render water extra healthy to drink from activities/trekking shops. i ask your self whether there is one close to you!? I used to stay in Gloucester, yet that became somewhat a while in the past, so i will't say particularly the place. Sorry i will't be of extra help. My suggestions are with you in this.

Answer 8

Two words: acid rain

Answer 9

i think rain carry a lot of polutatants from all around earth

Answer 10

You know sewer water? Well, it evaporates. Guess what it comes back down as... yeah...
Clouds clean it and it (depending on certain things) may be safe, but still, kinda gross to think about...

Some people catch it on containers and boil it. this works because it kills the germs.