Evaporation and condensation are important parts of the water cycle. We can see these processes in nature all around us.
Ocean Water: Most of the world's evaporation, about 86%, happens in the oceans. When the ocean water is warm, it helps the evaporation process.
Plants: Plants also release water into the air. They do this through tiny openings in their leaves called stomata. A fully grown tree can let out around 40,000 gallons of water in a year!
Wet Surfaces: After it rains, water on streets and sidewalks can dry up, especially if it's sunny and warm outside. This adds moisture to the air. Things like temperature, wind, and how much space the water is on can all affect how fast it evaporates.
Clouds: When water vapor rises into the sky, it cools down and turns into tiny water droplets, making clouds. This happens more when the air temperature reaches the dew point, which is usually about 15°C (59°F).
Dew: In the morning, when it gets cooler, water vapor can turn back into liquid on things like grass, forming dew. The dew point is the temperature at which the air can’t hold any more moisture.
Frost: When it gets really cold, below 0°C (32°F), water vapor can change directly into ice, which creates frost on surfaces.
Evaporation and condensation are important parts of the water cycle. We can see these processes in nature all around us.
Ocean Water: Most of the world's evaporation, about 86%, happens in the oceans. When the ocean water is warm, it helps the evaporation process.
Plants: Plants also release water into the air. They do this through tiny openings in their leaves called stomata. A fully grown tree can let out around 40,000 gallons of water in a year!
Wet Surfaces: After it rains, water on streets and sidewalks can dry up, especially if it's sunny and warm outside. This adds moisture to the air. Things like temperature, wind, and how much space the water is on can all affect how fast it evaporates.
Clouds: When water vapor rises into the sky, it cools down and turns into tiny water droplets, making clouds. This happens more when the air temperature reaches the dew point, which is usually about 15°C (59°F).
Dew: In the morning, when it gets cooler, water vapor can turn back into liquid on things like grass, forming dew. The dew point is the temperature at which the air can’t hold any more moisture.
Frost: When it gets really cold, below 0°C (32°F), water vapor can change directly into ice, which creates frost on surfaces.