Water Cycle and Weather

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Water Cycle and Weather
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Georgia Performance Standards

• S4E3 Students will differentiate between the
  states of water and how they relate to the water
  cycle and weather.
• a. demonstrate how water changes states
  from solid (ice) to liquid (water) to gas (water
  vapor/steam) and changes from gas to liquid to
  solid.
• b. identify the temperatures at which water
  becomes a solid and at which water becomes a gas.
• c. investigate how clouds are formed.
• d. explain the water cycle (evaporation,
  condensation, and precipitation).
• e. investigate different forms of
  precipitation and sky conditions. (rain, snow,
  sleet, hail, clouds, and fog)

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Essential Questions

• What form does water take on our earth?
• How does water change from a solid to a liquid to
  a gas?
• How does water change from a gas to a liquid to a
  solid?
• How are clouds formed?
• What is the water cycle?
• What are forms of precipitation?
• Do we drink the same water that was on earth a
  million years ago?

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• Earths water exists in three states liquid
  water, solid ice, and a gas that we call water
  vapor.

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Water Cycle

• Water changes states in a process known as the
  water cycle.

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• Liquid water gathers in oceans, seas, and rivers,
  and it falls as rain.
• Ice is water in its solid state. Ice forms when
  heat is removed from the liquid water. When
  temperatures fall below 32? F (0?C), liquid water
  will freeze and becomes ice.

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• Water can also take the form of a gas. Water in
  the gas state is called water vapor. Water vapor
  is part of the air, but you cannot see it. It
  forms when HEAT is added to the liquid water.
• When liquid waters temperature is raised to
  212?F (100?C), you can observe water vapor.

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• Liquid water can also become water vapor (gas) at
  lower temperatures. This happens in a process
  called EVAPORATION.
• Evaporation is when the surface of the water
  slowly changes into a gas. The Sun causes
  evaporation of water.

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• When the water vapor (gas) evaporates and meets
  cold air as it rises into the air, it forms tiny
  water droplets. The droplets formed by
  CONDENSATION.
• This is how clouds are formed

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The water cycle

• The water on Earth changes from one form to
  another over and over again as it goes through
  the water cycle.
• The WATER CYCLE is the movement of water into the
  air as water vapor and back to the Earths
  surface as precipitation.
• Precipitation is any form of water that falls
  from the clouds to the Earths surface.

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• The water in our oceans, lakes, and rivers
  evaporates and becomes water vapor.
• As the water vapor rises in the air, it cools and
  condenses into water droplets.
• These droplets form clouds. The drops become
  heavier as more water vapor condenses. When they
  are too heavy, they fall to the Earth as
  precipitation.
• The water cycle cleans the Earths water supply.

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Types of clouds

• Clouds form when water vapor in the air
  condenses.
• A cloud that forms close to the ground is called
  FOG.

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STRATUS clouds

• Stratus clouds are low-level clouds that form in
  layers. This type of cloud usually brings steady
  rain.

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CUMULUS clouds

• Cumulus clouds are fluffy and have flat bases
  (bottoms). They form low in the sky and usually
  mean fair weather.

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CIRRUS clouds

• Cirrus clouds are thin, feathery clouds made of
  ice crystals. They form high in the sky and also
  indicate fair weather.

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CUMULONIMBUS clouds

• Cumulonimbus clouds bring thunderstorms.

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PRECIPITATION

• Precipitation is any form of water that falls
  from clouds to the Earth.
• Rain, snow, sleet, and hail are the most common
  forms of precipitation.

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Rain

• Rain is the MOST common form of precipitation.

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Sleet

• Sleet is rain that freezes as it falls. If the
  temperature near the Earths surface is below
  freezing, rain will turn to ice before it hits
  the ground.

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Snow

• Snow falls when the temperature in a cloud is
  below freezing. Water vapor in the cloud forms
  ice crystals known as snowflakes.

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Hail

• Hail forms when the drops of rain freeze and
  strong winds carry them higher into the cloud. As
  hailstorms fall again, more ice forms on them and
  they become larger. When they are too heavy, they
  will fall to the Earth.

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Essential Questions

• What form does water take on our earth?
• How does water change from a solid to a liquid to
  a gas?
• How does water change from a gas to a liquid to a
  solid?
• How are clouds formed?
• What is the water cycle?
• What are forms of precipitation?
• Do we drink the same water that was on earth a
  million years ago?