The Water Cycle Colorado FFA水循环科罗拉多FFA.pptVIP

Unit 5Lesson 4The Water Cycle Providing Balance to Life What is the water cycle? The water cycle describes the existence and movement of water on, in, and above the Earth. Earths water is always in movement and is always changing states, from liquid to vapor to ice and back again. Evaporation Condensation Precipitation Surface Runoff Transpiration Water Available for Human Use Unit 5Lesson 4 Optional LabPlant and soil science The Water Cycle PSS.PROCEDURES.1 PSS.PP.1 * * Evaporation is the process where a liquid, in this case water, changes from its liquid state to a gaseous state. Liquid water becomes water vapor. Although lower air pressure helps promote evaporation, temperature is the primary factor. ? During the water cycle some of the water in the oceans and freshwater bodies, such as lakes and rivers, is warmed by the sun and evaporates. During the process of evaporation, impurities in the water are left behind. As a result, the water that goes into the atmosphere is cleaner than it was on Earth.?  Condensation is the opposite of evaporation. Condensation occurs when a gas is changed into a liquid. Condensation occurs when the temperature of the vapor decreases.? When the water droplets formed from condensation are very small, they remain suspended in the atmosphere. These millions of droplets of suspended water form clouds in the sky or fog at ground level. Water condenses into droplets only when there are small dust particles present around which the droplet can form.? ?  When the temperature and atmospheric pressure are right, the small droplets of water in clouds form larger droplets and precipitation occurs. The raindrops fall to Earth.? As a result of evaporation, condensation and precipitation, water travels from the surface of the Earth goes into the atmosphere, and returns to Earth again.? Much of the water that returns to Earth as precipitation runs off the surface of the land, and flows down hill into streams, rivers, ponds and