---
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: 2026-10-19
---

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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 evaporation happens faster at higher temperatures (e.g. puddles dry faster on hot days)

## Lesson: Evaporation and the Water Cycle

You already know that heating and cooling change how water looks. Now let's name two of those changes. Evaporation is when liquid water turns into a gas called water vapor. Condensation is the opposite: water vapor turns back into liquid water.

*(drawing: The sun warms the sea, so water evaporates. It rises, cools, and condenses into clouds. Then it falls back down as rain.)*

**Example.** After a hot shower, the bathroom fills with steam, which is water vapor in the air. When that vapor touches the cool mirror, it condenses into tiny water droplets, and the mirror looks steamed up.

*(drawing: On a cool day, a puddle takes a while to evaporate. On a hot day, the same puddle disappears much faster because heat speeds up evaporation.)*

**Tip.** Next time you see a puddle after rain, check on it later on a warm day. The warmer the day, the faster the water evaporates into the air.

**Recap.** Evaporation turns liquid into gas, condensation turns gas back into liquid, and heat speeds up evaporation to keep the water cycle moving.

## 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)
- [The Water Cycle](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/the-water-cycle-mt_fhqVdj4BYr)
- [Heating & Cooling Changes](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/heating-and-cooling-changes-mt_Pl-nsjYGZ3)

## 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)