Evaporation and condensation

Evaporation is the process by which water changes from a liquid to a gas or vapour. Large amounts of water are released back into the water cycle due to evaporation from lakes, rivers, oceans and the land.

Condensation is the change of water from its gaseous form (water vapour) into liquid water. It generally occurs in the atmosphere when warm air rises, cools and loses its capacity to hold water vapour.

The activity Solid to liquid to gas examines the role of heat as water changes from a solid to a liquid to a gas and back again.

This is similar to how the energy from the Sun drives aspects of the water cycle. If you use this activity as an analogy, provide adequate discussion time to help students make the connections between the activity model and the water cycle.

Acknowledgement: Michael Shake, 123RF Ltd