The Water CycleThe Water Cycle

EVAPORATION, EVAPORATION, CONDENSATION, CONDENSATION,

PRECIPITATION AND PRECIPITATION AND TRANSPIRATIONTRANSPIRATION

The earth’s water keeps going around and around in what we call the "Water Cycle.”

This cycle is made up of a few main parts:1. evaporation2. condensation 3. precipitation 4. transpiration

A. Evaporation- Liquid to GasEvaporation is when the sun heats up water in rivers or lakes or the ocean and turns it into vapor or steam.

The water vapor or steam leaves the river, lake or ocean and goes into the air.

Water to water Vapor

B. Condensation- B. Condensation- Gas to LiquidGas to Liquid

Water vapor in the air Water vapor in the air gets cold and changes gets cold and changes back into liquid, back into liquid, forming cloudsforming clouds. . This is This is called condensation. called condensation.

Example: Example: the droplets the droplets that form on the that form on the outside of a cold outside of a cold glass.glass.

The The water vapor water vapor condensed into water condensed into water droplets.droplets.

C. PrecipitationC. Precipitation Precipitation Precipitation occurs occurs

when so much water when so much water has condensed that the has condensed that the air cannot hold it air cannot hold it anymoreanymore. . 

The The clouds get heavy clouds get heavy and water falls back to and water falls back to the earth in the form of the earth in the form of rain, hail, sleet or snow.rain, hail, sleet or snow.

D. TranspirationD. Transpiration Transpiration is Transpiration is the the

process by which process by which plants lose water out plants lose water out of their leaves.of their leaves.  

Transpiration Transpiration gives gives evaporation a bit of a evaporation a bit of a hand in getting the hand in getting the water vapor back up water vapor back up into the airinto the air. .

Review of the Main Parts of the Review of the Main Parts of the Water CycleWater Cycle

A.Evaporation-A.Evaporation- Liquid to GasLiquid to Gas Water changes to water vaporWater changes to water vapor

B. Condensation-B. Condensation- Gas to LiquidGas to Liquid Water vapor cools in the atmosphere and forms Water vapor cools in the atmosphere and forms

small droplets.small droplets.

C. Precipitation-C. Precipitation- Small droplets of water come Small droplets of water come together and form large droplets and fall to Earthtogether and form large droplets and fall to Earth

Interesting FactsInteresting Facts Water droplets  before they precipitate to earth combine with millions of other Water droplets  before they precipitate to earth combine with millions of other

droplets until they become heavy enough to fall.droplets until they become heavy enough to fall.

The average speed of a raindrop is 14 miles an hour  and is only .04 to .24 The average speed of a raindrop is 14 miles an hour  and is only .04 to .24 inches in diameter. inches in diameter.

A raindrop must be at least .02 inches big otherwise it is considered drizzle. In A raindrop must be at least .02 inches big otherwise it is considered drizzle. In illustrations raindrops usually are drawn tear shaped, but actually look more like the top illustrations raindrops usually are drawn tear shaped, but actually look more like the top of a hamburger bun. of a hamburger bun. 

According to the USGS, you may drink the same water as a dinosaur did 180 -According to the USGS, you may drink the same water as a dinosaur did 180 -245 million years ago.245 million years ago.

Frozen water is 9% lighter than water, which is why ice floats on water. Frozen water is 9% lighter than water, which is why ice floats on water.

For more interesting facts about water.For more interesting facts about water.

http://www.lenntech.com/water-trivia-facts.htmhttp://www.lenntech.com/water-trivia-facts.htm

http://http://www.njawwa.org/kidsweb/waterfacts/waterfacts.htmwww.njawwa.org/kidsweb/waterfacts/waterfacts.htm