ShareThe Water Cycle - Here Comes the Sun!
When you woke up this morning and looked out
the window, you probably chose what you were going to wear outside by looking
at the sky, the clouds, and the land around you. The sun gives us light
to see and it also provides heat energy. This makes it hot or cold depending
on how much sunlight reaches Earth. The sun not only heats up people but
it also warms the water on the earth.
When the rays of heat energy from the sun strike the water on Earth, this causes the water to change states. If water changes from a liquid to a gas, this is called evaporation.
Do the next experiment and find out how heat energy affects the amount and rate of evaporation.
TRY IT
Materials:
- Three clear plastic cups filled with about 50 ml.
of water
- Make sure that the cups have equal amounts of water to control the variables.
- Fine point black marker
Procedures:
- Place the cups with water in various locations, such as inside on a countertop, outside in direct sunlight, and outside in the shade.
- Record the time you set the water at each location.
- Check your water sites every 15 minutes and mark the water level on the cup. Observe and record until the water is gone from at least one of the cups.
Analysis:
Answer the following questions in your science journal.
- What happened?
- How did the location of the water site effect evaporation?
- Why do you think the location made a difference?
- Did the color of the surface make a difference?
- Did the roughness of the surface seem to affect the results?
