WATER CYCLE

Website entry #5

Objectives
When you finish this lesson, you will be able to:
Identify the processes involved in the water
cycle;
Describe changes that happen during each
process; and
Relate temperature to the processes in water
cycle.

Activity 1
Identifying the Processes Involved in the Water Cycle
A diagram of the water cycle

Identify the processes involved in the water cycle. Take

note that the arrows represent the movements of the
water.

Answer these:
1.

2.

3.

How does water move?

What are the processes involved in
the movement of water?
What do you call the movement of
water in the biosphere?

Activity 2
Describing the Changes that Happen in Each Process
A diagram of the water cycle

Do these:
1.

2.

3.

4.

Examine the diagram of the water cycle

again.
Look at the arrow which represents
evaporation. Describe what happens
during this process.
Look at the arrow that represents
condensation. Describe what happens
during this process.
Look at the arrow that represents
precipitation. Describe what happens
during this process.

Answer these:
1.

2.

Explain the direction of the arrows.

What changes take place during:
a. evaporation
b. condensation
c. precipitation

Activity 3
Relating Temperature to the Processes in the Water
Cycle

You need:
2 small beakers
2 glass containers
1 alcohol lamp
1 tripod
Piece of ice
Water
dropper

Do these:
1.

2.

3.

4.

Cover the bottom of the beaker with

water then heat.
Heat the first beaker. Label it setup A.
observe what happens to the water.
While you are heating the first beaker, set
aside the other beaker. Label the other
setup as B.
Compare the setups A and B as to the
amount of water present.

5.

6.

Half-fill the first glass with tap water.

Label this setup C. Observe what
happens to the tap water.
Half-fill the second glass with tap
water and put some pieces of ice up
to the brim of the glass. Label this
setup as D. Observe what happens
to the tap water and ice.

Setup
Setup A
Setup B
Setup C
Setup D

What Have I Observed?

Answer these:
1.

2.

Which setup, A or B, contains more

water? How do you account for the
difference?
Which setup, C or D, shows a
change? What is this change? How
do you account for this change?

Water continuously moves in the biosphere.

This movement is called the water cycle.
The energy of the Sun causes some water in
the soil, oceans, lakes, and rivers and living
things to turn into water vapor in the air
through evaporation.
As the water vapor in the air cools, it
undergoes condensation, that is, water vapor
changes to water droplets and form clouds.
Clouds return to the water back to the earth
as precipitation in the form pf rain in tropical
countries and snow, sleet, rain, and hail
stones in cold countries.

The cycle then starts over again.

The water cycle can be described in three
steps: evaporation, condensation, and
precipitation wherein the rate of the
evaporation and condensation is affected
by temperature.
Evaporation is fast when the temperature
is high.
In contrast, when temperature is low,
condensation is fast.

Prepared by:

Nina Lea Emphasis

MW 4:30-6:00 PM