Explain the water cycle and the role of evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and runoff.

Explain the water cycle and the role of evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and runoff.

• A. Evaporation condenses water vapor; condensation turns vapor directly into rain; precipitation removes water; runoff stores water in soil.
• B. Condensation is the process of liquid water turning into vapor; evaporation forms clouds; precipitation drains water away; runoff evaporates water.
• C. Precipitation is the process of water turning into vapor; evaporation removes water from plants; condensation is rain; runoff is water storage.
• D. Evaporation converts liquid water to vapor; condensation forms clouds; precipitation returns water to Earth; runoff moves water across the landscape; transpiration from plants contributes water to the cycle.

Answer: (D)

The water cycle is the continuous movement of water through the atmosphere, land, and oceans, driven by energy from the sun and the processes that move water between stages. Evaporation is the transformation of liquid water into water vapor, coming from oceans, lakes, rivers, soil, and even plant surfaces through a process called transpiration. As this water vapor rises and cools, it condenses into tiny droplets, forming clouds. When those droplets combine and grow too large, they fall as precipitation, returning water to the surface as rain, snow, or other forms. From there, water moves across the landscape in runoff, flowing over soil and rocks toward rivers, lakes, and oceans, and it can also infiltrate the soil to replenish groundwater. Plants contribute additional water to the atmosphere through transpiration, where water absorbed by roots is released as vapor from the leaves. This combination of evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and runoff—and the plant contribution through transpiration—keeps the cycle going, redistributing Earth's water again and again.

The water cycle is the continuous movement of water through the atmosphere, land, and oceans, driven by energy from the sun and the processes that move water between stages. Evaporation is the transformation of liquid water into water vapor, coming from oceans, lakes, rivers, soil, and even plant surfaces through a process called transpiration. As this water vapor rises and cools, it condenses into tiny droplets, forming clouds. When those droplets combine and grow too large, they fall as precipitation, returning water to the surface as rain, snow, or other forms. From there, water moves across the landscape in runoff, flowing over soil and rocks toward rivers, lakes, and oceans, and it can also infiltrate the soil to replenish groundwater. Plants contribute additional water to the atmosphere through transpiration, where water absorbed by roots is released as vapor from the leaves. This combination of evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and runoff—and the plant contribution through transpiration—keeps the cycle going, redistributing Earth's water again and again.