Why is water heavier than it looks?

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In summary: The gravitational force is weak and the air doesn't have much mass so it floats.Water moves around things because it is a fluid. (It is also a liquid)To quote wiki:How HEAVY something may be is related directly to its mass.In summary, water is heavier than air, but it is not as heavy as a solid brick.
  • #1
Better Best
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Why?
 
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  • #2
I think this question belongs in the psychology section.
 
  • #3
Better Welcome to Physics Forums!

How heavy, exactly, does water look?

Cheers,
Bobbywhy
 
  • #4
Well, idk. You're able to easily move it around and stuff but when you try to pick it up it takes effort.
 
  • #5
Better post: 4048442 said:
Well, idk. You're able to easily move it around and stuff but when you try to pick it up it takes effort.

Always slipping through your fingers?
 
  • #6
ModusPwnd said:
Always slipping through your fingers?

Would that make it heavy?
 
  • #7
Better post: 4048442 said:
Well, idk. You're able to easily move it around and stuff but when you try to pick it up it takes effort.

no, it's not easy to move around. Its inertial mass and gravitational mass are the same.
 
  • #8
Better post: 4048451 said:
Would that make it heavy?

Water moves around things because it is a fluid. (It is also a liquid)
To quote wiki:

In physics, a fluid is a substance that continually deforms (flows) under an applied shear stress.

How HEAVY something may be is related directly to its mass.
 
  • #10
Drakkith said:
Water moves around things because it is a fluid. (It is also a liquid)
To quote wiki:
How HEAVY something may be is related directly to its mass.

Oh, ok. Well then can you explain that to me? Because a balloon full of air and a balloon full of water the same size basically look similar, but the one with water is much heavier. How is that so if they're taking up the same amount of space? Stupid question, I know.
 
  • #11
This may come as a surprise to you but your eyes are not scales. They detect light, not mass.
 
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  • #12
Better post: 4048467 said:
Oh, ok. Well then can you explain that to me? Because a balloon full of air and a balloon full of water the same size basically look similar, but the one with water is much heavier. How is that so?

For a gas like helium in a balloon, there are FAR fewer atoms of helium that will fit in the balloon compared with water. This isn't because helium is "larger", it is because helium is a gas normally. The atoms are flying around very quickly and don't stick together at all like water does. Water molecules attract each other and are much heavier than helium atoms are, so they are much harder to turn into a gas. (Which is why water is a liquid all the way up to 100 Celsius while helium is a gas unless you cool it to around -270 Celsius)
See the following links for more.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas
 
  • #13
Better post: 4048467 said:
Because a balloon full of air and a balloon full of water the same size basically look similar, but the one with water is much heavier. How is that so if they're taking up the same amount of space?

My troll detector goes "ping". This is a question children in preoperational stage may ask - that means, up to 7 y.o.
 
  • #14
Better post: 4048467 said:
Oh, ok. Well then can you explain that to me? Because a balloon full of air and a balloon full of water the same size basically look similar, but the one with water is much heavier. How is that so if they're taking up the same amount of space? Stupid question, I know.

I'm going to assume no troll, and say the answer is density. You can imagine the water balloon has got more stuff inside, even though it has same volume as the air balloon. The ratio of 'stuff' to volume is density. (Or, more technically than 'stuff', I should say mass). In an equation:
[tex]density = \frac{mass}{volume}[/tex]
And the density of different materials is different.
 
  • #15
I did wonder about this question, at first,Borek. But -
Is this question to do with the fact that, when you try to move 'through' water, you don't need to 'move it all', just to push some of it out of the way, yet, when you try to lift it (in a bucket) you need to move it all? This contrasts with a solid brick. When you lift or move a brick, you have to move all of it. Our senses are used to dealing with Newton's second law for solids and we are familiar with the extra vertical forces due to the weight of all solid objects, when lifting them. On the Moon, things are a bit different and probably a bit confusing for a while.
 

1. Why does water appear lighter than other liquids?

Water appears lighter than other liquids because it has a lower density. Density is the measure of how much mass is contained within a given volume. Since water molecules are relatively small and spaced further apart compared to other liquids, it has a lower density and therefore appears less heavy.

2. Why does water feel heavier when held in a container?

Water may feel heavier when held in a container because of the force of gravity. When water is contained, it is compressed and takes up less space, increasing its density. This increase in density can make it feel heavier when held in a container compared to when it is freely flowing.

3. How does temperature affect the weight of water?

The weight of water is not affected by temperature. However, temperature does affect the density of water. As water is heated, its molecules move faster and are therefore more spread out, resulting in a lower density. Conversely, when water is cooled, its molecules move slower and become more compact, increasing its density.

4. Why does ice float on water if it is heavier?

Ice floats on water because it is less dense than liquid water. As water molecules freeze, they form a crystal structure with more space between the molecules. This increase in space results in a decrease in density, causing ice to float on top of liquid water.

5. Why does water have a different weight than other liquids?

Water has a different weight than other liquids because it has a unique molecular structure and composition. The size and arrangement of its molecules contribute to its density and overall weight. Other liquids may have different molecular structures and compositions, resulting in different weights and densities.

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