The water cycle
A wet cloth dries on a sunny day. Where does the water go?
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The idea
Step 1 of 6
- The Sun warms the sea, rivers and lakes.
- Water turns to vapour, which is water as a gas. It rises. This is evaporation.
- Plants give out vapour too. This is transpiration.
- The vapour cools and forms clouds. This is condensation.
- Rain, snow or hail (balls of ice) falls from the clouds. This is precipitation.
- Water flows to rivers and the sea, or soaks into the ground.
The cloth's water turns to vapour and rises into the air.
All these stages together are the water cycle.
The Sun heats water into vapour. Cooled vapour makes clouds. Clouds give rain or snow, and the water flows back.