Class 4 · Environmental Studies
How water travels: the water cycle
Water keeps moving between the sea, the air and the land through evaporation, condensation and precipitation.
🎯 You will learn to
- Describe evaporation, condensation and precipitation
- Explain the role of the Sun in the water cycle
- Give examples of how people depend on the water cycle
Water on Earth is always on the move. It changes form but the total amount stays almost the same.
- Evaporation: Heat from the Sun turns water from seas, rivers and lakes into invisible water vapour.
- Condensation: Water vapour rises, cools and turns into tiny droplets that form clouds.
- Precipitation: When droplets join and become heavy, they fall as rain, hail or snow.
- Collection: Water flows through rivers back to the sea or soaks into the ground as groundwater.
In India, the monsoon brings most of the year's rain. Farmers, cities and forests all depend on this cycle.
📌 Remember for the exam
- Sun's energy drives evaporation
- Cooling of vapour causes condensation (clouds)
- The cycle repeats: evaporation → condensation → precipitation → collection
🎯 Learning objective: Describe each stage of the water cycle and the role of the Sun.
💬 Questions and answers
1What am I looking at?
Answer: Sea, land, mountains and clouds showing water on the move.
2What are its parts? (click a part to identify it)
Answer: Evaporation, condensation, precipitation and collection (runoff and groundwater).
3How does it work?
Answer: The Sun heats water, which evaporates; the vapour rises, cools and condenses into clouds; droplets join and fall as rain or snow; water flows back to the sea or soaks into the ground.
4Why is it important?
Answer: The water cycle gives us rain and fresh water; India depends on the monsoon for farming and drinking water.
5What happens if I change something? (use the sliders)
Answer: Increase the Sun's heat to see more evaporation and heavier rain.
6What should I remember for the exam?
Answer: Evaporation → condensation → precipitation → collection. Transpiration from plants also adds water vapour.