The Water Cycle Flashcards

Grade 4 · Science · Flashcards

Study key vocabulary for the water cycle and how water moves through Earth.

Flashcards

Water cycle: The continuous movement of water through Earth's systems with no beginning or end
Evaporation: Liquid water heating up and changing into water vapor (gas)
Condensation: Water vapor cooling and turning back into liquid droplets — forms clouds
Precipitation: Water falling from clouds as rain, snow, sleet, or hail
Transpiration: Water vapor released into the air through plant leaves
Runoff: Water flowing over the ground surface into rivers and lakes
Groundwater: Water that seeps into the ground and is stored underground in aquifers
Water vapor: Water in its gaseous form, invisible in the air
Aquifer: An underground layer of rock that holds groundwater
Collection: Stage where water gathers in oceans, lakes, and rivers before evaporating again
Glacier: A large, slow-moving mass of ice that stores fresh water
Atmosphere: The layer of gases surrounding Earth where clouds and weather form