Exploring the Water Cycle
9th Grade · Science · 45 min
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Learning Objective
I can describe the different stages of the water cycle and their impact on the environment.
- 1
The water cycle involves water changing from a liquid in oceans and lakes to water vapor in the atmosphere, then back to liquid as precipitation, and finally as groundwater flowing back to larger bodies of water.
- 2
Evaporation occurs when water turns into a gas at lower temperatures, while condensation is the process of a gas turning back into a liquid.
- 3
The water cycle impacts ecosystems by influencing weather and climate, such as the humid climate in tropical rainforests due to rapid evaporation and heavy rainfall, or the slow water cycle in deserts where plants must conserve water.