Water Cycle
'Round and round it goes...
Explore the Interactive Water Cycle!
See how water flows through the hydrosphere.Examine evidence of how the water cycle impacts areas like the Great Salt Lake.Escape the rising tide by correctly answering questions about what you learned.Click the button to begin.
Water Cycle
Interactive Water Cycle
Water makes up roughly 60% of our bodies, 71% of the planet, and sustains whole ecosystems of marine life. Water moves all around us, and it's not subtle about it. From flowing rivers to rain and high humidity, we can see (and feel) this cycle everywhere. Use the first two buttons on the right to learn more about the water cycle, then use the last button to move on to the quiz.
Water Cycle Examples
Test Your Knowledge
Condensation
Evaporation
Precipitation
Transpiration
Runoff
Collection
Infiltration
Terminal Lakes
Groundwater
Salt vs. Fresh?
Snow
Can You Keep Your Head Above Water?
Due to the changes in the climate to the region, weather patterns are changing. Those changes can lead to increased precipitation, and more rain means more water. Answer the following questions correctly to stay afloat!
Warning! The deeper the water becomes, the deeper your knowledge and memory must be.
Let's Go!
1/10
Is snow a part of the water cycle?
No
Yes
2/10
True or False: Great Salt Lake freezes completelyat around 32°F?
True
False
3/10
Is salt water still part of the water cycle?
No
Yes
4/10
What is the definition of a terminal lake?
A pooling of waterbeneath the soil
A body of water with no outlet
A salty bodyof water
5/10
What phase change does waterundergo during evaporation?
gas to liquid
liquid to gas
liquid to solid
6/10
Which of the following best describes precipitation?
Occurs when water falls from the sky, as a solid and/or liquid
Occurs when water falls from the sky as snow
Occurs when water falls from the sky as rain
7/10
How can water leave a terminal lake?
Through evaporation or human involvement
Throughlake-effect snow
Through condensation
Through rivers and streams
8/10
How can a lake influence snowfall?
Water adds heat and moisture, resulting in more snow
Salt from the lake causes water to condense faster
Water cools the air, helping snowflakes form
A lake can't influence snowfall
9/10
How does saltwater respond to heat energy differently than freshwater?
Saltwater has a lower boiling point and lower freezing point
Saltwater has a lower boiling point and higher freezing point
Saltwater has a higher boiling point and higher freezing point
Saltwater has a higher boiling point and lower freezing point
Hmm...nope.
You deserve one more shot!
A Second Chance
10/10
Approximately how many tons of salt can be found in the Great Salt Lake?
3 billion tons
2 billion tons
4 billion tons
5 billion tons
Hmm...nope.
You deserve one more shot!
A Second Chance
WASHED UP!
Review the information andgive it another shot. You can do it!
Try Again!
SAFE ON THE SHORE!
That wild water was no match for your brilliant brain, amazing!
Keep Learning!
Evaporation happens when liquid water is heated up by the sun and becomes water vapor. Water vapor is lighter than air, so it rises and forms clouds. The amount of water vapor in the air is referred to as humidity.
Groundwater is water that has drained into the soil through percolation, and collects in a large reservoir of water called an aquifer. You know that groundwater exists if you use a well, but it's pretty difficult to see. In addition to runoff, groundwater can also impact water levels in a lake.
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1564#
PASSWORD ACCEPTED
Enter the code followed by the # key.
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Runoff happens when water moves too fast or the ground is too wet for rain to be aborbed into the soil. When runoff is severe, it can cause flash floods.
Collection is just like it sounds, when water collects in one place, like a pond, lake, or the ocean.
Runoff is when water "runs" across the surface of the earth. This water will eventually collect in one place, like the ocean. Great Salt Lake is a terminal lake, meaning that it is the last stop for water since it has no outlet. The water must either evaporate or be moved by people to leave the lake. This is how minerals like salt build up in a body of water. Most lakes flow into rivers which bring minerals out to the ocean, but a terminal lake collects everything.
Once a cloud gathers enough water vapor, we see the most dramatic part of the water cycle-- precipitation. Precipitation is anything that falls from a cloud. It can be rain, snow, hail, or sleet.
When water vapor gathers high in the air, it cools and becomes a cloud. This process is called condensation. Condensation happens because the air becomes colder the higher up it is. You can find condensation at ground level too! Just make a cold glass of water and watch the water droplets form on the outside of the cup.
Snow is a type of precipitation and as such is an important part of the water cycle. Great Salt Lake never freezes, so it influences weather year-round. Because of its shallow depth and large surface area, the Great Salt Lake changes temperatures greatly. The water tends to be warmer than the air above it in the colder months of the year. This creates lake-effect snow and results in a skier's paradise!
Infiltration is when water 'infiltrates' the ground. This process cleans most pollutants out of the water. The water first soaks into the soil, which is called percolation. Then, the water reaches a resevior of ground water. If you have a well, this is where your water comes from.
The water cycle is a crucial part of how trees are able to survive-- and not just because plants need water. Transpiration is when water evaporates out of a plant's leaves. This process creates suction: so just like a straw, trees can pull up water through their roots because water is being pulled out of the top.
The total amount of salt dissolved in Great Salt Lake is estimated to be nearly 5 billion tons! Saltwater lakes still experience the water cycle, but the concentration of salt influences the timeline.
Salt water boils at a higher temperature, meaning that it takes longer for evaporation to occur. However, salt water also freezes at a lower temperature than fresh water, so due to its local climate, the Great Salt Lake never freezes!
Water Cycle
Content and Experience Team
Created on October 17, 2025
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Transcript
Water Cycle
'Round and round it goes...
Explore the Interactive Water Cycle!
See how water flows through the hydrosphere.Examine evidence of how the water cycle impacts areas like the Great Salt Lake.Escape the rising tide by correctly answering questions about what you learned.Click the button to begin.
Water Cycle
Interactive Water Cycle
Water makes up roughly 60% of our bodies, 71% of the planet, and sustains whole ecosystems of marine life. Water moves all around us, and it's not subtle about it. From flowing rivers to rain and high humidity, we can see (and feel) this cycle everywhere. Use the first two buttons on the right to learn more about the water cycle, then use the last button to move on to the quiz.
Water Cycle Examples
Test Your Knowledge
Condensation
Evaporation
Precipitation
Transpiration
Runoff
Collection
Infiltration
Terminal Lakes
Groundwater
Salt vs. Fresh?
Snow
Can You Keep Your Head Above Water?
Due to the changes in the climate to the region, weather patterns are changing. Those changes can lead to increased precipitation, and more rain means more water. Answer the following questions correctly to stay afloat!
Warning! The deeper the water becomes, the deeper your knowledge and memory must be.
Let's Go!
1/10
Is snow a part of the water cycle?
No
Yes
2/10
True or False: Great Salt Lake freezes completelyat around 32°F?
True
False
3/10
Is salt water still part of the water cycle?
No
Yes
4/10
What is the definition of a terminal lake?
A pooling of waterbeneath the soil
A body of water with no outlet
A salty bodyof water
5/10
What phase change does waterundergo during evaporation?
gas to liquid
liquid to gas
liquid to solid
6/10
Which of the following best describes precipitation?
Occurs when water falls from the sky, as a solid and/or liquid
Occurs when water falls from the sky as snow
Occurs when water falls from the sky as rain
7/10
How can water leave a terminal lake?
Through evaporation or human involvement
Throughlake-effect snow
Through condensation
Through rivers and streams
8/10
How can a lake influence snowfall?
Water adds heat and moisture, resulting in more snow
Salt from the lake causes water to condense faster
Water cools the air, helping snowflakes form
A lake can't influence snowfall
9/10
How does saltwater respond to heat energy differently than freshwater?
Saltwater has a lower boiling point and lower freezing point
Saltwater has a lower boiling point and higher freezing point
Saltwater has a higher boiling point and higher freezing point
Saltwater has a higher boiling point and lower freezing point
Hmm...nope.
You deserve one more shot!
A Second Chance
10/10
Approximately how many tons of salt can be found in the Great Salt Lake?
3 billion tons
2 billion tons
4 billion tons
5 billion tons
Hmm...nope.
You deserve one more shot!
A Second Chance
WASHED UP!
Review the information andgive it another shot. You can do it!
Try Again!
SAFE ON THE SHORE!
That wild water was no match for your brilliant brain, amazing!
Keep Learning!
Evaporation happens when liquid water is heated up by the sun and becomes water vapor. Water vapor is lighter than air, so it rises and forms clouds. The amount of water vapor in the air is referred to as humidity.
Groundwater is water that has drained into the soil through percolation, and collects in a large reservoir of water called an aquifer. You know that groundwater exists if you use a well, but it's pretty difficult to see. In addition to runoff, groundwater can also impact water levels in a lake.
PASSWORD DENIED
1564#
PASSWORD ACCEPTED
Enter the code followed by the # key.
PASSWORD ACCEPTED
Runoff happens when water moves too fast or the ground is too wet for rain to be aborbed into the soil. When runoff is severe, it can cause flash floods.
Collection is just like it sounds, when water collects in one place, like a pond, lake, or the ocean.
Runoff is when water "runs" across the surface of the earth. This water will eventually collect in one place, like the ocean. Great Salt Lake is a terminal lake, meaning that it is the last stop for water since it has no outlet. The water must either evaporate or be moved by people to leave the lake. This is how minerals like salt build up in a body of water. Most lakes flow into rivers which bring minerals out to the ocean, but a terminal lake collects everything.
Once a cloud gathers enough water vapor, we see the most dramatic part of the water cycle-- precipitation. Precipitation is anything that falls from a cloud. It can be rain, snow, hail, or sleet.
When water vapor gathers high in the air, it cools and becomes a cloud. This process is called condensation. Condensation happens because the air becomes colder the higher up it is. You can find condensation at ground level too! Just make a cold glass of water and watch the water droplets form on the outside of the cup.
Snow is a type of precipitation and as such is an important part of the water cycle. Great Salt Lake never freezes, so it influences weather year-round. Because of its shallow depth and large surface area, the Great Salt Lake changes temperatures greatly. The water tends to be warmer than the air above it in the colder months of the year. This creates lake-effect snow and results in a skier's paradise!
Infiltration is when water 'infiltrates' the ground. This process cleans most pollutants out of the water. The water first soaks into the soil, which is called percolation. Then, the water reaches a resevior of ground water. If you have a well, this is where your water comes from.
The water cycle is a crucial part of how trees are able to survive-- and not just because plants need water. Transpiration is when water evaporates out of a plant's leaves. This process creates suction: so just like a straw, trees can pull up water through their roots because water is being pulled out of the top.
The total amount of salt dissolved in Great Salt Lake is estimated to be nearly 5 billion tons! Saltwater lakes still experience the water cycle, but the concentration of salt influences the timeline.
Salt water boils at a higher temperature, meaning that it takes longer for evaporation to occur. However, salt water also freezes at a lower temperature than fresh water, so due to its local climate, the Great Salt Lake never freezes!