Water is one of the most essential sources of life found on our planet. There are many types of water, including regular and distilled water.
The differences lie in the number of nutrients they carry and the process of purification they go through to be of use for various situations.
Key Takeaways
- Water is a liquid that contains minerals and other impurities.
- Distilled water is water that has been purified through a process of distillation.
- While distilled water is pure and free of contaminants, it may lack some beneficial minerals in regular water.
Water vs Distilled Water
Water is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless liquid. It is a compound composed of two hydrogen atoms bonded to a single oxygen atom. Distilled water is a type of water that is gotten through distillation. It involves boiling water to produce steam, and then condensing the steam back into liquid.
Water is a very versatile solvent. It is important for the sustenance of life on Earth. Not only is it important in the natural environmental processes, but it is also important for biological processes.
It is filled with minerals and nutrients that are required by your body but also contains many impurities which may be detrimental.
On the other hand, distilled water is purified water that goes through distillation, i.e., boiling and condensation, to get regular strip water of its minerals, nutrients, and impurities. You shouldn’t be drinking distilled water because of its lack of minerals which may be necessary for biological processes.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Water | Distilled Water |
|---|---|---|
| Minerals | It has a lot of minerals and impurities. | It doesn’t have any minerals or impurities. |
| Scientific Research | It isn’t used in scientific research. | It is used in scientific research and experiments. |
| Taste | It has good taste that everyone likes. | It doesn’t have any taste. |
| Distillation | It doesn’t go through any distillation process. | It goes through a process of distillation for purification. |
| Nutrients | It is advisable to drink because of the presence of important nutrients | It is not advisable to drink because of the absence of important nutrients. |
What is Water?
Water is an inorganic chemical substance that is one of the most important constituents of Earth and is a major source of life. It is an essential compound.
It has the ability to dissolve a lot of other things like salt, sugar, etc.
70% of the human body is made up of water which is used for various processes like biological processes and is found in blood, digestive juices, etc. Water can appear blue in colour if found in large quantities because of the absorption of light at red wavelengths.
Its chemical composition is H2O. It is a colourless liquid at room temperature and can be found in solid form as ice and in gas form as steam.
It is an extremely complicated compound.
Even though the solid state of most substances is supposed to be denser than the liquid state, in water, the solid state, i.e., ice, tends to float on liquid water.
It is also a natural habitat for a myriad of plants and animals. It can also be transported through the atmosphere in the form of vapour, after which it can condense and come down in the form of rain to facilitate plant and animal life.
It’s important to drink regular water as it has a lot of important nutrients like iron, magnesium, sodium, potassium, calcium, zinc, bicarbonate, etc.
What is Distilled Water?
Distilled water can be categorized as a type of purified water. It goes through a purification process which helps in the removal of all contaminants and minerals from regular water and only leaves behind the hydrogen and oxygen molecules.
The process of distillation includes boiling the water and then condensation, which will leave the contaminants behind. Distillation is very effective in the removal of heavy metals, minerals, and contaminants from regular water.
Since distillation includes boiling, most of the microorganisms present in water, like bacteria and viruses, also get killed.
Distilled water shouldn’t be your main source of hydration because it contains none of the minerals and nutrients that your body needs, like zinc, calcium, magnesium, sodium, etc. The lack of these minerals also means it has no taste and is bland.
Some of the most common uses of distilled water as in lab experiments, scientific research, car cooling systems, steam irons, certain medical devices, etc. It is also beneficial for people with HIV or cancer since their immune systems won’t have to fight any infections as there will be no contaminants.
It can also be used in therapeutic regimens as it’s free of all impurities, which won’t add any excess pressure or trauma to a person’s digestive tract.
Main Differences Between Water and Distilled Water
- Water in its regular form has a lot of minerals and impurities mixed with it, but distilled water has no minerals or impurities in it.
- Water shouldn’t be used in scientific research or experiments due to the presence of excess impurities and minerals. However, distilled water can be used in scientific research and experiments as it doesn’t have any impurities.
- Water has a peculiar and good taste that people tend to like, whereas distilled water has no water.
- Water goes through no distillation process. On the other hand, distilled water goes through a distillation process, including boiling and condensation, to purify the water.
- It is advisable to drink regular water since it contains many necessary nutrients, whereas distilled water isn’t advisable to ingest since it is void of all the important nutrients like calcium and magnesium.
- https://ascelibrary.org/doi/abs/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9372(2002)128:3(253)
- https://www.osapublishing.org/josa/abstract.cfm?uri=josa-53-8-962
Last Updated : 11 June, 2023
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
Water is a compound made up of two hydrogen atoms bonded to a single oxygen atom, and is essential for the sustenance of life on Earth.
Distilled water is suitable for therapeutic regimens and certain specialized practices, where the absence of contaminants is critical.
Water can appear blue in large quantities due to its absorption of light at red wavelengths and its chemical composition is H2O.
It’s important to drink regular water as it contains a variety of vital nutrients, unlike distilled water. Even its taste and being a natural habitat for plants and animals adds to its importance.
Distilled water is obtained through a process of distillation, leaving behind contaminants and minerals, and can be used in scientific research and experiments.
The differences between regular water and distilled water are important when considering their uses, whether as a source of minerals and nutrients or for scientific research purposes.
Distilled water lacks minerals and nutrients that the body needs, so it’s not suitable for consumption, but it has various beneficial uses like in lab experiments, car cooling systems, and certain medical devices.
Regular water has a lot of important nutrients like iron, magnesium, sodium, potassium, calcium, zinc, and bicarbonate.