The Water Cycle
Miss Durham
Evaporation
Evaporation is when the sun heats up water in rivers, lakes, or the ocean and turns it into vapor or steam. That steam goes into the air.
Condensation
Water vapor in the air gets cold and changes back into liquid, forming clouds. That process is condensation.
Precipitation
Precipitation occurs when so much water has condensed that the air cannot hold it anymore. The cloud gets heavy and water falls back down to earth.
Collection
When the water falls back down to earth it goes into the lakes, rivers, oceans, and even back onto the dry areas. On land it soaks into plants and trees and moisturizes them.