The Water Cycle
There are six important processes that make up the water cycle.
(You can click on each word to find the definition on the key words page)
1. Condensation - Condensation occurs when a gas is changed into a liquid. Condensation is the oppostie of evaporation.
2. Precipitation - When the temperature is right, small droplets of water in clouds form larger droplets and precipitation occurs. Precipiatiopn is the raindrops falling to Earth.
3. Infiltration - Infiltration is an important process where rain water soaks into
the ground, through the soil and underlying rock layers.
4. Runoff - Much of the water that returns to Earth as precipitation runs off the surface of the land, and flows down hill into streams, rivers, ponds and lakes.
5. Evaporation - the process where a liquid, in this case water, changes from its liquid state to a gaseous state. The water rises from the sea as a gas into the clouds.
6. Transpiration - As plants absorb water from the soil, the water moves from the roots through the stems to the leaves. Once the water reaches the leaves, some of it evaporates from the leaves, adding to the amount of water vapor in the air. This process of evaporation through plant leaves is called transpiration.
Here is a helpful diagram to help you understand the water cycle.
Here is a fun song to help you remember the water cycle! Click on the play button to hear The Water Cycle Song.