Water Cycle
Elementary School
Definition
The continuous movement of water through the environment by evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection. Powered by the Sun and gravity, the water cycle recycles Earth's water between the oceans, atmosphere, and land.
Worked examples
Ocean water heats up → evaporates into air → cools and condenses into clouds → falls as rain → runs into streams → returns to ocean
Each stage moves water between ocean, atmosphere, and land in a continuous loop.
A puddle after rain shrinks as the Sun heats it, turning liquid water into invisible water vapor that rises into the air.
Evaporation is powered by the Sun's energy and moves water from Earth's surface into the atmosphere.
Common mistakes
- Water disappears after evaporation → Water changes to vapor and stays in the atmosphere until condensation Water is recycled, not lost — it just changes state and location in the cycle.
- The water cycle only happens over oceans → The cycle occurs everywhere: oceans, lakes, soil, plants (transpiration), and atmosphere Water evaporates from all surfaces and living things contribute through transpiration.
- Clouds are made of water vapor → Clouds are tiny liquid water droplets or ice crystals formed when vapor condenses Water vapor is invisible; condensation changes it into visible droplets that form clouds.
Where you'll use it next
The water cycle connects to weather and climate patterns, ecosystems and biomes, freshwater availability, and later Earth science units on atmospheric processes and conservation.
See also
Reviewed by Pat Cheng, M.Ed. — StudyPug Curriculum Lead · Last updated June 6, 2026