Welcome to CoreFacts, where we're always short on time and big on science. I'm Jessica Robertson. Today's question is about water.
Why does my drinking water look milky or cloudy sometimes?
Once in a while you get a glass of water that looks cloudy or milky, but after a few seconds, it miraculously clears up! The cloudiness is due to tiny air bubbles in the water. Like any bubbles, the air rises to the top of the water and goes into the air, clearing up the water. The water in the pipes coming into your house might be under a bit of pressure. Air bubbles are dissolved in pressurized water, and as the water is exposed to normal atmospheric pressure when flowing into your glass, the gases come out and temporarily "cloud" the water.
And now you know. Join us again every week for a new CoreFact. For other CoreFacts or for CoreCast, our in depth science podcast, go to www.usgs.gov/podcasts. If you'd like to have questions featured on our show, give us an email at corefacts@usgs.gov or a phone call at 703-648-5600. Remember, long distance fees do apply.
CoreFacts is a product of the U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior.
A CoreFact is a weekly audio podcast from the USGS that asks and answers a natural science question. When you subscribe to CoreFacts, episodes will be automatically downloaded to your computer as soon as they're available.
Huh? What's a Podcast?
A podcast is an audio (e.g. mp3) or video file (e.g. mpeg) that can be played
on a mobile media player (i.e. Apple iPod)1 or
personal computer.2
So, How Do I Listen/Watch?
You can subscribe to CoreFacts via RSS
feed1 (click for details), or you can listen to individual
CoreFacts by selecting the play button next to the episode you’re interested
in. When you subscribe to CoreFacts, each episode will automatically download
to your computer as soon as they become available. Some specific instructions can be found on our Adding a Podcast page.
1 Make sure you have the right software
to download CoreFacts from a computer to your mobile media player—this software
usually comes with the player. 2 To play CoreFacts on your computer, you will need media
player software such as: iTunes, Windows
Media Player, or Real
Media Player.
Most computers already have media player software installed—check
with your computer administrator to see if you’re already set up for CoreFacts!
508 Compliance
Every episode is transcribed and can be viewed in the Show Details section.
All links to Web sites or data referenced in the show are included.