3. Facts about the
water cycle
• The chemical symbol
for water is H2O
• The sun is the driving
force of the water
cycle
• Only 3% of water on
earth is freshwater
• When ever water
changes from one
state to another and
moves from one place
to another, it either
gives off or absorbs
energy
Runoff/
Collection
EvaporationCondensation
Precipitation
Note: If precipitation is
absorbed by a plant, then it
goes through transpiration
(releasing water from its
leaves) rather than
evaporation
4. Words to know
Water cycle - the continual movement of water among
Earth's atmosphere, oceans, and land surface through
evaporation, condensation, and precipitation
Evaporation - the process by which molecules at the
surface of a liquid absorb enough energy to change to a
gas
Condensation - the change in state from a gas to a
liquid
Precipitation - any form of water that falls from clouds
and reaches earth's surface as rain, snow, sleet, or hail
Transpiration - the process through which water is lost
through a plant's leaves
Runoff - water that flows over the ground surface
rather than soaking into the ground
