The Water Cycle
Section: Earth and Space | Syllabus: Cambridge Primary Stage 5 Science (0097)
Evaporation, Condensation and Precipitation
- The water cycle is the continuous, repeating movement of water around Earth, driven mainly by energy from the Sun.
evaporation → condensation → precipitation → collection → evaporation
- The Sun warms surface water and some liquid water evaporates into invisible water vapour.
- Higher up, where the atmosphere is cooler, water vapour condenses into tiny liquid droplets, which gather together to form clouds.
- Droplets in a cloud combine until they are heavy enough to fall as precipitation, such as rain, snow or hail.
- Water collects in rivers, lakes, soil and oceans, ready for the cycle to continue.
Using a Water-cycle Model
- A miniature model can represent the main stages of the water cycle in the classroom
- hot water in a covered container represents warmed surface water
- water vapour condensing on a cool cover represents cloud formation
- droplets falling from the cover represent precipitation
- The model shows the main processes clearly, but it does not show the true scale, distances or speed of Earth's real water cycle.
Question: Warm water is covered by a cool lid. Water appears on the underside of the lid and later drips down. Name the two processes. [2]
Gas changing to liquid droplets on the lid is condensation. Water falling from above in the model represents precipitation. AnswerDroplets form by condensation. Their falling represents precipitation.
Common Mistakes
MistakeClouds create new water.
FixCloud droplets form when existing water vapour cools and condenses; no new water is made.
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