Science
How does the water cycle work?
The water cycle works as a continuous loop powered by the Sun and gravity: water evaporates from oceans and land, rises and condenses into clouds, falls as precipitation, and flows back to the sea to start again.
See it in motion.
Watch a 2-minute animated lesson that shows exactly how the water cycle works.
Step by step
- 1The Sun heats surface water into vapor (evaporation); plants add vapor too (transpiration).
- 2Rising vapor cools and condenses into cloud droplets.
- 3Droplets combine and fall as rain, snow, or hail (precipitation).
- 4Water collects in rivers, oceans, and underground, then the cycle repeats.
Frequently asked questions
- What powers the water cycle?
- The Sun's heat drives evaporation, and gravity pulls precipitation and runoff back down.
- What is condensation?
- When water vapor cools and turns back into tiny liquid droplets, forming clouds.
- Does the same water keep recycling?
- Yes — Earth's water has cycled for billions of years; it just changes form and place.