? FREE Printable Water Cycle Worksheets for Kids - Free Printable

The task involves explaining the terms related to the water cycle and matching them with their correct definitions. Below is a detailed explanation of each term and its corresponding definition:

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Terms Related to the Water Cycle:

1. Precipitation
- Definition: Moisture that falls from the clouds to the ground in the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
- Explanation: Precipitation occurs when water droplets or ice crystals in clouds become too heavy and fall to the Earth's surface. This includes rain, snow, sleet, and hail.

2. Evaporation
- Definition: The process of liquid heating up and becoming a gas.
- Explanation: Evaporation happens when water on the Earth's surface (such as oceans, lakes, rivers, or soil) absorbs heat energy from the sun and changes into water vapor, which rises into the atmosphere.

3. Condensation
- Definition: The process of gas cooling down and becoming a liquid.
- Explanation: Condensation occurs when water vapor in the air cools down and changes back into liquid form, forming tiny droplets that gather to create clouds.

4. Runoff
- Definition: The flow of water occurring on the surface.
- Explanation: Runoff refers to water that flows over the land surface after precipitation, moving downhill due to gravity. It can enter streams, rivers, lakes, or oceans.

5. Transpiration
- Definition: The process of water being released from the leaves of a plant.
- Explanation: Transpiration is the process by which plants release water vapor through small openings in their leaves called stomata. This water vapor then enters the atmosphere.

6. Water Cycle
- Definition: Shows the circulation and continuous movement of water around the world, including oceans, atmosphere, and land.
- Explanation: The water cycle is the continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth. It involves processes like evaporation, condensation, precipitation, runoff, and transpiration.

7. Sun
- Definition: The source of heat energy for the Earth.
- Explanation: The Sun provides the energy needed to drive the water cycle. Its heat causes water to evaporate from the Earth's surface, initiating the cycle.

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Matching the Words to Their Meanings:

Here is the correct matching based on the explanations above:

- Precipitation → Moisture that falls from the clouds to the ground in the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
- Evaporation → The process of liquid heating up and becoming a gas.
- Condensation → The process of gas cooling down and becoming a liquid.
- Runoff → The flow of water occurring on the surface.
- Transpiration → The process of water being released from the leaves of a plant.
- Water Cycle → Shows the circulation and continuous movement of water around the world, including oceans, atmosphere, and land.
- Sun → The source of heat energy for the Earth.

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Final Answer:

| Term | Definition |
|-----------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Precipitation | Moisture that falls from the clouds to the ground in the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail. |
| Evaporation | The process of liquid heating up and becoming a gas. |
| Condensation | The process of gas cooling down and becoming a liquid. |
| Runoff | The flow of water occurring on the surface. |
| Transpiration | The process of water being released from the leaves of a plant. |
| Water Cycle | Shows the circulation and continuous movement of water around the world, including oceans, atmosphere, and land. |
| Sun | The source of heat energy for the Earth. |

Boxed Final Answer:
\boxed{
\begin{array}{ll}
\text{Precipitation} & \text{Moisture that falls from the clouds to the ground in the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail.} \\
\text{Evaporation} & \text{The process of liquid heating up and becoming a gas.} \\
\text{Condensation} & \text{The process of gas cooling down and becoming a liquid.} \\
\text{Runoff} & \text{The flow of water occurring on the surface.} \\
\text{Transpiration} & \text{The process of water being released from the leaves of a plant.} \\
\text{Water Cycle} & \text{Shows the circulation and continuous movement of water around the world, including oceans, atmosphere, and land.} \\
\text{Sun} & \text{The source of heat energy for the Earth.} \\
\end{array}
}