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A Cycle without Wheels

By Trista L. Pollard
What do you call a cycle that is clear
and flows? No, it is not an invisible
bicycle floating down the Mississippi
River! It is the earth's water cycle!
For millions of years earth has
recycled or reused its water. Think
about it; you could be taking a bath in
the same water used by your
grandparents when they were kids.
Let's look at how the earth reuses its
water.
The earth's water cycle has three
main stages or parts called evaporation, condensation, and
precipitation. These stages repeat over and over again. However, the
water cycle does not happen overnight. In fact, the whole cycle can
take a long time. The reason it's called a cycle is because the water
goes from the earth, through the air, to the clouds, and back to the
earth again. This pattern is like a spinning wheel on a bicycle.
Ocean water is an important ingredient in the water cycle. During the
first stage, evaporation, ocean water is heated by the sun. This causes
the water to evaporate or change into water vapor (gas). The salt from
the water is left on earth. Don't worry, there are not empty oceans
lying around! Since the water cycle is always "spinning," the oceans
are always full. After the water changes into gas, it rises into the air.
We also see examples of evaporation when the sun dries a puddle
after it rains or when we let the picture we painted dry on the table.
Condensation, the second stage, happens when the water vapor in the
air changes back into liquid water or ice. As warm air rises, it meets
the colder air in the atmosphere. When the warm air and cold air meet,
the water vapor is changed into liquid or ice and clouds are formed.
Think about the many times you have had ice water or cold soda in a
glass. The water drops that are on the outside of the glass are there
because of condensation. These drops come from the air that is around
the outside of the glass.

The last stage is called precipitation. This part of the water cycle
delivers the water back to earth. The clouds fill up with water drops or
ice crystals. When they become heavy, the earth's gravity pulls the
water back to earth. Now you know why we have rain, hail, and snow.
Once the rain falls to the earth the water may stay for a long period of
time. Some of the water stays underground among rocks. Eventually,
it returns to the surface of the earth where it can be evaporated. This is
how the water cycle starts all over again.
Even though the water cycle is always "spinning," we still need to
worry about earth's water supply. Most of the water that falls back to
earth ends up in the ocean and becomes salt water. Some of that water
also becomes ice or glaciers. There is only a small part of the water
produced by the cycle that can be used at any time. As the earth's
population continues to grow, we need to be more careful of how we
use our water. Remember, even though the water cycle is "spinning",
it can take a long time for that "wheel" to go around.
A Cycle without Wheels

Questions
1. Water vapor is ______.
A. water that is turned into gas
B. water that is turned into liquid
C. water on the earth's surface
D. none of the above
2. The water cycle is always repeating.
A. True
B. False
3. Most of the water that falls back to earth goes into ______.
A. the rivers
B. the streams
C. the oceans
D. the lakes

Imagine! You are a raindrop that has just fallen to earth. You have
landed on a friendly oak tree leaf, who is wondering how you landed
on him. To make this leaf happy, you need to explain how you are
part of the earth's water cycle. Explain your part in the water cycle
using the voice of the raindrop.

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4. Condensation is ______.
A. when water vapor is changed into liquid water
B. when water vapor is changed into ice
C. when water vapor does not change
D. when ice is changed into liquid water
5. What is precipitation?

6. When the sun warms the earth, it changes the water on earth
into water vapor that rises into the air.
A. True
B. False
7. After rain falls to earth, it may ______.
A. stay underground for many years
B. stay on the earth's surface
C. absorb into rocks
D. none of the above
8. Clouds are formed during the ______.
A. precipitation stage
B. evaporation stage
C. liquidation stage
D. condensation stage

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Cause and Effect: All things are related to each other in some way.
What would happen if one of the stages for the water cycle did not
exist? Write a news story which talks about the disappearance of one
of the water cycle stages (evaporation, condensation, or precipitation).
Make sure you explain what happened to that stage to cause it to
disappear, and what will happen to the water cycle now that the stage
is gone. Be creative, but detailed.