What is the Water Cycle?
The water cycle is the journey that water takes as it moves around our planet. This cycle involves various processes like evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.
Stages of the Water Cycle
There are four main stages in the water cycle. They are:
- Evaporation: This happens when the sun heats up water in rivers, lakes, and oceans, turning it into vapor. For example, if you leave a glass of water out, it will slowly disappear as it evaporates.
- Condensation: After evaporation, the water vapor rises into the air and cools down. When it cools, it turns back into tiny water droplets. This is what makes clouds. For instance, a cloudy day just means that the water vapor has condensed into droplets.
- Precipitation: When the droplets in clouds become heavy, they fall back to Earth as rain, snow, or hail. Think about how rain fills up lakes and rivers once it falls!
- Collection: Water gathers in rivers, lakes, and oceans. This water will eventually evaporate again, completing the cycle.
Importance of the Water Cycle
The water cycle is very important for our environment. It provides fresh water for plants, animals, and us! Without this cycle, there would be no rain to help crops grow, and rivers and lakes would dry up.
Fun Fact!
Did you know that the same water that dinosaurs drank is still on Earth today? It goes in a cycle, so water may come back to the same places again and again!
Now that you’ve learned about the water cycle, try playing the quiz below to see what you’ve understood!
