Water Cycle

1. Precipitation

1.1. occurs when so much water has condensed that the air cannot hold it anymore

1.2. clouds get heavy and water falls back to the earth in the form of rain, hail, sleet or snow

2. Collection

2.1. water falls back to earth as precipitation, it may fall back in the oceans, lakes or rivers or it may end up on land

2.2. it ends up on land, it will either soak into the earth and become part of the “ground water” that plants and animals use to drink

2.3. or it may run over the soil and collect in the oceans, lakes or rivers where the cycle starts all over again

3. Evaporation

3.1. sun heats up water in oceans, lakes, and rivers

3.2. turns into vapor or steam

3.3. vapor or steam lives the water and goes into air

4. Condesation

4.1. water vapor in the air gets cold and changes back into liquid, forming clouds