Water Cycle

• Water is important as it:

  -Maintains habitats

  -allows nutrients to flow between organisms and the environment

  -Transports molecules around organisms

  -enables chemical reactions to take place in cells

  -cooling organisms through evaporation
• The water cycle involves five main processes:

  -precipitation

  -condensation

  -evaporation

  -transpiration

  -Percolation
• Precipitation- as water droplets in clouds get heavier they fall as rain, snow or hail.
• Percolation- Water trickles into the ground through gaps in soils and rocks
• Transpiration- Loss of water vapor from plants directly into the atmosphere
• Evaporation- The sun heats the Earth's surface and water is turned from a liquid into water vapor, forming warm, moist air
• Condensation - as moist air rises , it cools. Water vapor condenses back into liquid water droplets producing clouds.
• The water cycle is important as it influences climate and maintains habitats. It also ensures there is a fresh flow of water into lakes, riveres and the sea, and carries important nutrients