Lesson 2:
What is the
Water
Cycle?
Chapter 8: Weather
and Climate
What is the Water Cycle
• Where does water come from and
where does it go?
• God created water and made Earth to
recycle it.
• The total amount of water on Earth
stays the same.
• The water cycle is the endless process
that recycles water on Earth.
Water-Recycling
Machine
• The water you drink today has
existed for thousands of years.
• Earth is like a huge water-
recycling system.
• Water moves in a cycle — it never
stops!
• The journey can start anywhere —
ocean, river, or cloud.
The Water Cycle
• Evaporation
• Condensation
• Precipitation
Evaporation
• The Sun warms water in oceans,
rivers, and lakes.
• Water changes from liquid to gas
(vapor) → Evaporation.
• Transpiration: Water vapor also
comes from plant leaves.
• Perspiration: Even animals
(including people) add water vapor
through sweat.
Condensation
• Water vapor rises, cools, and
turns back into liquid drops.
• This process is called
condensation.
• Drops gather around dust or
smoke to form clouds.
• Condensation is the opposite
of evaporation.
Precipitation
• When cloud droplets become heavy,
they fall as rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
• Rain: Liquid water falling to the ground.
• Snow: Water vapor freezes directly into
ice crystals.
• Sleet: Snow melts then refreezes.
• Hail: Ice pellets that grow larger inside
storm clouds.
• All falling water is called precipitation.
Surface Runoff
• Some precipitation flows across
the land → surface runoff.
• Runoff collects in rivers and
streams, flowing back to oceans.
• It can carry minerals and make the
ocean salty.
• Surface water is often used for
drinking and irrigation.
Groundwater
• Some water soaks into the ground →
groundwater.
• It fills cracks in rocks and soil.
• Aquifer: Underground storage area for
groundwater.
• Water table: The highest level of
groundwater.
• People dig wells to get groundwater for
daily use.
• Too much pumping near oceans can
cause saltwater to mix in.
Factors that Affect
Transpiration
• Plants release water vapor
through tiny openings under
their leaves.
• This process is transpiration.
• It helps pull water up through
the plant’s stem (like sucking
through a straw).
• About 10% of the water vapor
in the air comes from plants!
Temperature
• Higher temperature speeds
up evaporation from leaf
surfaces.
• Extreme heat may cause
plants to close their leaf
openings (stomata) to avoid
losing too much water.
• Cold weather can slow down
transpiration because water
movement inside the plant
becomes slower.
Humidity and Air
Movement
• Humidity means how much water vapor
is already in the air.
• When the air is dry (low humidity),
more water can evaporate → faster
transpiration.
• When the air is humid (high humidity),
less water evaporates → slower
transpiration.
• Wind and air movement blow away
moist air around the leaves, allowing
more water to escape.
Types of Plants
• Different plants are designed for
different environments.
• Desert plants (like cacti) have thick,
waxy surfaces and small or no leaves to
reduce water loss.
• Tropical plants often have broad leaves
and transpire more because they grow
where water is abundant.
• Waxy coating on leaves helps slow
down evaporation.
• Evaporation: When water changes from a
liquid form to a gaseous form
• Transpiration: When water evaporates and
enter the air from the leaves of plants
Key • Condensation: The process by which a gas
Vocabulary changes into a liquid
• Precipitation: The state of water that falls
to Earth as rain, snow, sleet, or hail
• Runoff: When precipitation run along the
surface of Earth and into its channels
• Groundwater: Water that fills the
cracks between rocks and within soil
Key • Aquifers: The place where
Vocabulary groundwater is stored underground
between layers of soil and rock
(Cont.) • Water Table: Highest level in an
aquifer
Lesson 2: Summary
What Is the Water Cycle?
• The Sun is the source of energy that drives the water cycle
• Evaporation, condensation, precipitation, transpiration, and
surface runoff are the key processes of the water cycle
• Water returns to Earth as some type of precipitation, which
influences the weather
• Freshwater for drinking and irrigation comes from surface water
and groundwater