What would happen to the water cycle if the sun did not provide heat?
Water constantly moves around the Earth and changes between solid, liquid and gas. This all depends on the Sun’s energy. Without the Sun there would be no water cycle, which means no clouds, no rain—no weather!” “And without the Sun’s heat, the world’s oceans would be frozen!” added Marisol.
What happens to the water in a puddle when it gets heated by the sun?
Evaporation happens when a liquid is heated. For example, as the sun heats water in a puddle, the puddle slowly shrinks. The water seems to disappear, but it actually moves into the air as a gas called water vapor. This is an example of evaporation.
What will happen to a liquid if it is heated?
If a liquid is heated the particles are given more energy and move faster and faster expanding the liquid. The most energetic particles at the surface escape from the surface of the liquid as a vapour as it gets warmer. Liquids evaporate faster as they heat up and more particles have enough energy to break away.
What causes rain to fall?
Raindrops fall to Earth when clouds become saturated, or filled, with water droplets. Millions of water droplets bump into each other as they gather in a cloud. When a small water droplet bumps into a bigger one, it condenses, or combines, with the larger one.
How is the water cycle related to solar energy?
Part A: Solar Energy and the Water Cycle. As liquid water evaporates or transpires, it forms water vapor and clouds, where water droplets eventually gain enough mass to fall back to Earth as precipitation. The precipitation then becomes run-off or ground water, and works its way — over various timescales — back into the surface reservoirs.
Where does the energy from the Sun Go when water evaporates?
Energy from the sun causes water on the surface to evaporate into water vapor – a gas. This invisible vapor rises into the atmosphere, where the air is colder, and condenses into clouds.
What would happen if the water cycle stopped?
What Would Happen If the Water Cycle Stopped? If the water cycle were to stop, lakes, rivers and groundwater sources would dry up, glaciers would disappear and precipitation would stop falling. All freshwater resources would be negatively impacted, and life on Earth would completely cease.
Where does the water go in the water cycle?
The Water Cycle. Water drops form in clouds, and the drops then return to the ocean or land as precipitation – let’s say this time, it’s snow. The snow will fall to the ground, and eventually melts back into a liquid and runs off into a lake or river, which flows back into the ocean, where it starts the process again.