A substance has characteristic properties, such as density, a boiling point, and solubility, all of which are independent of the amount of the sample. A mixture of substances can often be separated into the original substances using one or more of the characteristic properties. Substances react chemically in characteristic ways with other substances. Earth and Space Science Landforms are the result of a combination of constructive and destructive forces. Water evaporates from the earth's surface, rises and cools as it moves to higher elevations, condenses as rain or snow, and falls to the surface where it collects in lakes, oceans, soil, and in rocks underground.
Water is a solvent.
As it passes through the water cycle, it dissolves minerals and gases and carries them to the oceans. The atmosphere is a mixture of nitrogen, oxygen, and trace gases that include water vapor. The atmosphere has different properties at different elevations. Clouds, formed by the condensation of water vapor, affect weather and climate. Living organisms have played many roles in the earth system, including affecting the composition of the atmosphere, producing some types of rocks, and contributing to the weathering of rocks.