lesson
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Did you know that the water in your cup today might be the exact same water a dinosaur drank millions of years ago?
Earth never gets new water from outer space. Instead, our planet recycles the same water over and over in an endless loop called the water cycle.
How does water move from a puddle on the ground all the way up into the sky?
Step 1: Evaporation
When the sun shines down on oceans, lakes, and puddles, its heat warms the liquid water.
This heat turns liquid water into an invisible gas called water vapor. This process is called evaporation.
📊A clean animated diagram showing Step 1: Evaporation. A bright yellow sun shines over a blue ocean pool. Wavy upward dashed arrows rise from the water surface into the air, showing liquid water turning into invisible gas (water vapor). Labels: 'Sun Heat' (top left), 'Liquid Water' (bottom), 'Evaporation -> Water Vapor' (on arrows). Gentle floating animation on arrows.
Once that invisible gas rises high into the chilly sky, what happens next?
Step 2: Condensation
High up in the atmosphere, the air is freezing cold. The cold air cools the rising water vapor back down into tiny liquid droplets.
When billions of these tiny floating water droplets bunch together around specks of dust, they form a cloud. This cooling step is called condensation.
📊A clean diagram showing Step 2: Condensation. On the left, warm water vapor particles float upward. In the middle, a thermometer shows cold temperature with a snowflake icon. On the right, the particles bunch tightly together into tiny blue water droplets, grouping into a fluffy white cloud labeled 'Cloud Formation (Condensation)'.
What happens when clouds get packed with too many water droplets to hold?