The Water Cycle
The water cycle is a natural cycle on Earth which documents how Earth's water changes- from liquid to gas to solid. The steps in the water cycle are Precipitation, Condensation, and Evaporation, along with three minor steps: Infiltration, Transpiration, and Runoff.
Evaporation
Evaporation is a step in the water cycle in which water gets heated by the sun, turns into water vapor or steam, and rises up to the sky where it will condense and form clouds. In this process, the liquid water turns into water vapor-a gas.
Condensation
Condensation occurs after Evaporation. After the water vapor rises up to the sky, it cools down and condenses by clinging on to condensation nuclei, little dust particles. This means it forms clouds. The water vapor (gas) changes to liquid water during this stage.
Precipitation
Precipitation occurs after Condensation. When the clouds get so many water droplets on the condensation nuclei, the air can't hold it anymore. The water droplets fall to Earth in the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail. The water can stay a liquid or become a solid (ice) during this process.
Infiltration, Runoff, and Transpiration
Infiltration is where the precipitated water soaks into the ground. This makes it groundwater. It soaks through rock and soil layers.
Runoff is when, after precipitation, the water "runs off" Earth's surface. It then joins into streams, creeks, rivers, ponds, lakes, oceans, and other bodies of water.
Transpiration is where water collected inside plants' roots moves from the roots, through the stem, to the leaves, where some of it then evaporates through the leaves to form water vapor.
Runoff is when, after precipitation, the water "runs off" Earth's surface. It then joins into streams, creeks, rivers, ponds, lakes, oceans, and other bodies of water.
Transpiration is where water collected inside plants' roots moves from the roots, through the stem, to the leaves, where some of it then evaporates through the leaves to form water vapor.