The Water Cycle Explained

Steps

1. Evaporation occurs when the sun heats water in oceans, lakes, and rivers, turning it from liquid into water vapor that rises into the atmosphere.
2. Condensation happens when the water vapor cools as it rises higher in the atmosphere, forming tiny water droplets that cluster together to create clouds.
3. Precipitation occurs when water droplets in clouds combine and become heavy enough to fall back to Earth as rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
4. Collection is when precipitation lands on Earth's surface, where it flows into streams, rivers, lakes, and oceans, or soaks into the ground to become groundwater, ready to evaporate again and continue the cycle.

Worked example

Imagine a puddle after a rainstorm on a sunny day. The sun warms the puddle (evaporation), and the water seems to disappear into the air as vapor. High above, this vapor cools and forms clouds (condensation). Eventually, those clouds release rain (precipitation) that creates new puddles and fills nearby streams (collection), and the whole process starts over.

Remember

The water cycle continuously recycles Earth's water through evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection, ensuring that water moves between the atmosphere, land, and oceans.