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Water in the Atmosphere Major Steps of the Water Cycle: • The water cycle is the movement of water between the atmosphere and Earth’s surface. • How does water vapor enter the air? Evaporation/Transpiration • Explain evaporation : The process by which water molecules in liquid water escape into the air as water vapor. • The water vapor is now in the air and forms clouds by condensation. • How does water return to bodies of water? When water droplets become too large to remain in the cloud, they fall to Earth as precipitation. Water flows back to a body of water – runoff. Other terms to know: • Transpiration - When plants release water into the atmosphere. • Runoff - precipitation water that runs over land on its way back to a body of water. Details: Evaporation (pg 54): • An increase in energy (from solar radiation), causes water molecules to move faster, fast enough to change matter from a liquid to a gas. • Water (liquid) changes into water vapor (gas). • Warm air above the surface of the Earth has molecules that are more spread out (less dense), which means there is room for more water vapor. • This water vapor then rises with the rising warm air during convection. Condensation: • The rising air during convection starts to cool. • Because the air molecules lose energy, they start to slow down, move closer together, and the air becomes more dense. • When the air cools, and becomes more dense, there is no more room for water vapor. • The air is full or saturated and the water vapor is forced out and condenses or turns back into a liquid. • The temperature at which condensation begins is called the dew point. • What is needed for water vapor to condense? (pg 57) Tiny particles must be present so the water has a surface to condense on. • When water molecules condense on particle, CLOUDS are formed. Precipitation (pg 62): • Eventually, clouds become very heavy, due to all those clinging water drops. • Precipitation is any form of water that falls from clouds and reaches Earth’s surface. • Describe the five types of precipitation: 1.Rain: • Liquid water drops • Most common kind of precipitation. 2. Sleet: • Rain that passes through a layer of below freezing air on its way to the ground. Water drops freeze in ice. 3. Freezing Rain: • Rain drops that freeze when they touch a cold surface. 4. Snow: • Water vapor converted directly into ice crystals. Snowflakes have many different shapes and patterns. 5. Hail: • Forms inside cumulonimbus clouds (thunderstorm clouds). • Round pieces of ice formed when frozen drops get blown back up into the cloud combine, become heavy and fall to the ground.