Evaporation the changing of liquid water to water vapor   the changing of liquid water to water vapor When you get out of the water, you don't dry off with a towel, but your skin and bathing suit become dry over time. Water needs to be added to my pool every week on hot summer days Mopped floors dry over time. My pots of flowers need to be watered almost every day in the summer Wet clothes on the clothes line get dry. You left a glass of water by your bedside. A couple days later you notice, that there is less water in it.

Precipitation water falling from the sky What a thunderstorm!   water falling from the sky What a thunderstorm! A light drizzle is coming down, but I still play outside Thank goodness we got some rain, my yard was getting pretty dry! Look at that snow coming down! I hope we get a snow day! Be careful, there was freezing rain last night. The sidewalks will be very icy! Ouch! I got hit in the head by some hail!

Condensation the changing of water vapor to liquid water   the changing of water vapor to liquid water You draw pictures on the wet bus windows. Having a cold soda on a hot day, the can "sweats." You take a hot shower and the bathroom mirror fogs or steams up Dew forms in the morning on leaves and grass Water droplets gather on the lid of the pot of soup I am cooking.

Infiltration the process by which water on the   the process by which water on the ground's surface enters the soil Water from snow-melt will seep into the ground Water from rainfall will seep into the ground Puddles form when the soil underneath is saturated like a full sponge. But eventually the water will soak into the ground. Farmers irrigate with water pumped from aquifers The water that goes into an aquifer may be pumped out for use in our homes This water that goes underground is used by plants

Runoff water that flows over the top of the ground   water that flows over the top of the ground without entering the soil or evaporating Rivers overflow their banks with snowmelt happens quickly. Rain water runs off the roads and into ditches. During a heavy rain you might notice small rivulets of water flowing downhill Rivers are filled in the spring as snow melts and flows into them. Snow melt forms streams of water that flow downhill Water flows down the sides of roads into storm drains.

Transpiration evaporation of water into the atmosphere   evaporation of water into the atmosphere from the leaves & stems of plants a leaf will release many times more water than its own weight. A large oak tree can release 40,000 gallons per year. About 10 percent of the moisture found in the atmosphere is released by plants. Plants which grow in desert regions release less water than in wetter regions. A pine tree will release more water during the hot summer months than in the cold winter months.

sunlight and energy that   Solar Radiation sunlight and energy that come from the sun Sunlight warms the land and water