Water Cycle

How do the Sun and the oceans interact to keep the water cycle going?

Heat energy from the Sun evaporates water from the surface of the oceans. The water turns to water vapor and rises in the air where it condenses forming clouds.

Why isn't the water that falls back to the Earth as precipitation salty?

Only water is evaporated from the oceans. The salt remains in the oceans.

What would most likely happen if it didn't rain in a certain area for a long period of time?

Plants would die, and animals wouldn't receive nutrients from plants.

condensation

Water vapor ( a gas) cools and changes back into liquid droplets, forming clouds

evaporation, condensation, precipitation

What are the 3 basic steps of the water cycle?

What do water droplets form?

clouds

evaporation

is when the surface of liquid water heats and changes into water vapor (a gas)

Transpiration

plant leaves release water vapor (a gas) into the air

What are the forms of precipitation?

rain, snow, sleet, hail, freezing rain

sublimation

the process in which a frozen water (ice or snow) changes directly into water vapor (a gas)

water cycle

the way that water moves from being water to vapor and then back to water

precipitation

when water in the form of ice, rain, sleet, hail, or snow, is released from the clouds and falls to the ground due to gravity