---
title: "Evaporation & the Water Cycle"
description: "Identify the role of evaporation and condensation in the water cycle, and associate the rate of evaporation with temperature"
canonical: https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/evaporation-and-the-water-cycle-mt_Qkewo5M3_c
source: https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/evaporation-and-the-water-cycle-mt_Qkewo5M3_c.md
retrieved: 2026-11-12
---

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# Evaporation & the Water Cycle

Identify the role of evaporation and condensation in the water cycle, and associate the rate of evaporation with temperature

Subject: Science · Area: Matter & Materials · Ages 8 to 9
Page: https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/evaporation-and-the-water-cycle-mt_Qkewo5M3_c

## Ready when they can

- Describe evaporation as liquid turning to gas and condensation as gas turning to liquid
- Explain the water cycle: evaporation from seas/lakes → condensation into clouds → precipitation
- Explain why warmer water evaporates faster when other conditions stay the same, such as equal puddles drying at different temperatures

## Lesson: Evaporation and the Water Cycle

You have learned change-of-state words. Evaporation changes liquid water at its surface into an invisible gas called water vapor. It happens without boiling, even on cool days. Condensation changes water vapor back into liquid water.

The Sun supplies energy for water to evaporate from seas, lakes and other wet places. Some vapor travels upward with air. As the air cools, vapor can condense into tiny liquid cloud droplets. Clouds can also contain ice. Water falls as precipitation, such as rain or snow. It collects on Earth and can evaporate again. The cycle has no fixed beginning.

**Example.** After a shower, invisible water vapor is in the bathroom air. At a cool mirror, some vapor condenses into liquid drops. These make the mirror look misty. Visible mist in the air is also tiny liquid drops, not the invisible gas. Keep away from hot water and ask an adult before a test.

Water is made of tiny moving particles. Warming makes them move faster and gives them more energy to escape from the surface. This speeds evaporation. Wind and how damp the air is also affect drying. To compare temperature alone, keep those conditions, the water amount and the exposed area the same. After the same time, less water left means more has evaporated.

*(drawing: Imagined fair-test results after one hour. Both bowls started with 12 mL. Only temperature differed. Less water remained in the warm bowl.)*

**Recap.** Evaporation makes vapor; condensation makes liquid drops. Water cycles through Earth and air. Warmer water evaporates faster when other conditions stay the same.

*The lesson, questions and study cards were written for this dataset. Numerical evaporation results are illustrative examples, not published measurements.*

## Practice

8 questions on this page, each with its working shown.

## Needs first

- [Changes & Separation Vocabulary](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/changes-and-separation-vocabulary-mt_ahSqW_kK1b)
- [Heating & Cooling Changes](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/heating-and-cooling-changes-mt_Pl-nsjYGZ3)

## Optional connections

- [The Water Cycle](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/the-water-cycle-mt_fhqVdj4BYr)

## Opens up

- [How Earth systems interact](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/how-earth-systems-interact-mt_LKagN9GJPX)
- [Dissolving & Solutions](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/dissolving-and-solutions-mt_Mf-T-fYRLX)
- [The water cycle in detail](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/the-water-cycle-in-detail-mt_V2lNzEex_a)