Water Cycle (3-5 Version)

Water on earth comes in 3 forms: solid, liquid, and gas.

The sun heats the water, causing it to evaporate and become water vapor. That causes the puddle to dry up. The water vapor then rises up into the atmosphere, where it may condense and eventually fall back down to earth as rain.

Clouds are the result of water vapor condensing into tiny water droplets. Eventually the droplets get big enough that they fall back down to earth as rain, snow or hail.

Rain comes from evaporated water that has risen into the atmosphere where it condenses into a cloud. That means clouds are made of water! The water droplets eventually get too large and fall to the Earth as rain.

Water on Earth has been here for millions of years! It is constantly being recycled through the water cycle.

Some evidence that there is water vapor in the air include clouds, feeling moisture on our skin on a humid day, and seeing droplets form on the outside surface of cold drinks (condensation).

Water changes form in response to changing temperatures. When the temperature becomes colder, water vapor becomes liquid water. When the temperature becomes warmer, liquid water becomes water vapor.

Yes, generally, water becomes cleaner when it evaporates. Particles in water typically do not evaporate into vapor when water does, so particles are left behind when water vapor rises.

The dirt and grass were left behind in the bowl because they were too heavy to evaporate

In the distillation process, water is heated until it becomes water vapor. The water vapor rises and enters into a special tube that allows the vapor to cool and become liquid once again.