Water is a chemical substance that is found in abundance around us. is covered with water. Water is a combination of and hydrogen, and its chemical formula is . Water occurs naturally as .
On Earth, you can find water in all three states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas.
Liquid water is found in Earth's oceans, rivers, lakes, streams, and even in the soil and underground.
Solid ice is found in glaciers, snow, and at the North and South Poles.
Water vapor is a gas found in Earth's atmosphere.
How does water travel from a glacier to the ocean and then back to the cloud?
That's where the water cycle comes in.
Water on Earth is never lost. Water keeps changing from solid to liquid to gas and then back to liquid and solid. It keeps moving from Earth's surface to the sky and then back to Earth. The continuous movement of water between Earth's surface and the sky as it changes form is called the Water Cycle.
How the Cycle Works:
The water cycle has no beginning or end. To read the diagram, pick a place to start, such as evaporation and follow the arrows.
- • Evaporation: Water from Earth's surface turns into water vapor and rises into the sky.
- • Condensation: As water vapor reaches colder air in the sky; it turns into tiny drops of liquid water and clouds form.
- • Precipitation: Rain or snow falls to Earth's surface.
- • Collection: Fallen water or melted snow may soak into the ground. However, much of it runs over the ground. It collects into rivers, which bring water back to the ocean. The cycle keeps going.