Science Common Sense

1066 - What is the water cycle?

The water cycle is like a big circle that water goes through on our planet. Here's how it works:

1. First, the sun heats up the Earth and water from oceans, lakes, and rivers turns into water vapor. This is called evaporation.
2. The water vapor rises into the air and forms clouds.
3. When the clouds get too heavy with water vapor, it falls back to the Earth as rain or snow. This is called precipitation.
4. Once the rain or snow hits the ground, it can do a few things: it can soak into the soil, flow across the land as runoff, or get absorbed by plants.
5. Eventually, the water gets back into the oceans, lakes, and rivers, and the cycle starts all over again.

It's like a big, natural circle that keeps our planet healthy and full of water!