The water cycle

• Water cycle


  1. Evaporation from oceans

  2. Water vapor travels into air

  3. Water vapor condenses to form clouds

  4. Precipitation (rain, snow, hail, sleet)

  5. Water hits ground

  6. Some evaporates back into atmosphere

  7. Some passes through rocks to form aquifers

  8. Some forms rivers/streams

  9. Rivers/streams drain back into sea

  10. Plants take up water in roots

  11. Water moves up plant in xylem

  12. Water passes out of leaf stomata as water vapor (transpiration)

  13. Animals take in water through drinking and food

  14. Animals release water in urine and feces

  15. Animals release water when exhaling
• Almost all water on Earth is found in the oceans and is salt water
• Energy from the Sun causes the water to evaporate from the surface of the sea
• Water vapor cools down and condenses to form clouds
• Precipitation (rain, snow, hail, sleet) contains fresh water (does not contain salt)
• Some of the water that hits the ground evaporates back into the atmosphere as water vapor
• Some of the water passes through rocks and forms aquifers
• A lot of the water forms rivers or streams
• The water in rivers and streams eventually drains back into the sea
• Plants take up water in their roots and this water moves up the plant in the xylem
• The water passes out of the leaf stomata as water vapor (transpiration)
• Animals take in water through drinking and in their food
• Animals release water in their urine and feces, and when they exhale