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What is evaporation for kids?

Published in Science Education 3 mins read

Evaporation is when a liquid, like water, changes into a gas. It's like water disappearing, but it's really turning into something we can't see.

How Does Evaporation Happen?

Think of it like this:

  • Liquid Water: Imagine a puddle after the rain or water in a glass. That's liquid water.
  • Heat: The sun's heat warms the water.
  • Water Vapor: This heat makes the liquid water change into a gas called water vapor. We can't see water vapor, it's like invisible air.
  • Returning to the Sky: This water vapor goes up into the air.

The reference tells us that "Evaporation is when a liquid changes into a gas. Liquid water evaporates to become a gas called water vapor. The sun's heat helps water evaporate and return to the atmosphere. There, it turns from water vapor back into liquid water and forms a cloud."

The Water Cycle and Evaporation

Evaporation is a big part of something called the water cycle. Here's how it works:

  1. Evaporation: The sun heats up water on Earth, like in oceans, lakes, and rivers, and it turns into water vapor.
  2. Water Vapor Rises: The water vapor floats up into the sky.
  3. Cloud Formation: This water vapor can turn back into tiny drops of liquid water and form clouds.
  4. Precipitation: Then, the water falls back to Earth as rain, snow, or hail.

Examples of Evaporation

  • Puddles: You've seen how puddles disappear after a rain shower, right? That's because the water is evaporating.
  • Wet Clothes: When you hang wet clothes out to dry, the water turns into vapor and floats away.
  • Sweat: When you get hot and sweaty, your sweat evaporates, which helps to cool you down.

Key Points

Topic Description
What is it? The change of liquid into a gas.
How it's done The sun's heat helps change liquid water to water vapor.
Water Vapor A gas made from water that we cannot see.
Water Cycle Evaporation is important in the water cycle to return water to the atmosphere.

Evaporation is a natural process that helps to keep our world balanced and makes sure we have water for everything we need!

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