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Chapter 6: Problem 5

Why is it appropriate to say that the water cycle is solar-powered?

Short Answer

Expert verified
It is appropriate to say that the water cycle is solar-powered because the Sun's energy drives the entire process. The Sun's heat warms the Earth's surface, causing water to evaporate and rise into the atmosphere. Once there, the water vapor cools and condenses, eventually falling back to the Earth as precipitation. This continual movement of water through evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection relies on the Sun's energy to function.

Step by step solution

01

Understand the Water Cycle

The water cycle is the continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth. It consists of various processes that move water from one place to another, changing its state from liquid to vapor to ice, and back. The primary components of the water cycle include evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection.
02

Evaporation

Evaporation is the process by which liquid water is transformed into water vapor. This occurs when the Sun's energy heats the water in rivers, lakes, oceans, and other bodies of water. At higher temperatures, water molecules gain more energy and move faster, eventually breaking their hydrogen bonds and rising into the atmosphere as water vapor.
03

Condensation

Condensation is the process by which water vapor turns back into liquid water. When water vapor in the atmosphere cools down, it loses energy, and its molecules slow down and come together to form tiny droplets of water. These droplets may combine to form clouds in the sky, setting the stage for the next part of the cycle: precipitation.
04

Precipitation

Precipitation occurs when water droplets in clouds combine and grow larger, eventually becoming too heavy to remain suspended in the air. These droplets then fall to the Earth's surface as rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
05

Collection

After precipitation, the water that falls to Earth's surface is collected in various ways. Some of it flows over the surface as runoff, eventually making its way back to rivers, lakes, and oceans - where evaporation can occur again. Some water infiltrates the ground, replenishing groundwater supplies. Some of the water is also taken up by plants and transpired (released back into the atmosphere) through their leaves as part of the process of transpiration.
06

Sun's Role in the Water Cycle

The Sun plays a crucial role in the water cycle by providing the energy needed for the various processes - most notably, evaporation. Sunlight heats the water in bodies of water, providing the energy that enables water molecules to break free and convert into water vapor. Without the Sun, evaporation would not occur, and the water cycle would essentially come to a halt.
07

Why the Water Cycle is Solar-Powered

It is appropriate to say that the water cycle is solar-powered because the Sun's energy drives the entire process. The Sun's heat warms the Earth's surface, causing water to evaporate and rise into the atmosphere. Once there, the water vapor cools and condenses, eventually falling back to the Earth as precipitation. This continual movement of water through evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection relies on the Sun's energy to function.

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