AQA · GCSE · Combined Science
Course version: 8464 · Version from Sept 2018
The water cycle provides fresh water for plants and animals on land before…
Full specification wording
How materials are cycled: The water cycle provides fresh water for plants and animals on land before draining into the seas. Water is continuously evaporated and precipitated.
The water cycle is a continuous, solar-powered process that moves water between the oceans, atmosphere and land.
Checked against the AQA 8464 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 5 of 6
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
The water cycle is a continuous, solar-powered process that moves water between the oceans, atmosphere and land. Heat from the Sun evaporates water from seas, lakes and rivers; transpiration from plants adds more vapour. As moist air rises it cools, and water vapour condenses into clouds. Precipitation as rain, snow, hail or sleet returns fresh water to land, where it soaks into soil and is taken up by plant roots or drunk by animals. Some water runs over the surface or through rocks, eventually draining into the seas, so the cycle repeats. Because evaporation leaves dissolved salts behind, the water reaching land is fresh, supporting terrestrial life. Energy from the Sun drives evaporation, while gravity drives precipitation and drainage.
What earns the marks
- Evaporation is driven by energy transferred from the Sun, changing liquid water in seas, lakes and rivers into water vapour.
- Transpiration from plants releases water vapour, adding to atmospheric moisture alongside evaporation.
- Cooling of rising moist air causes condensation of water vapour into droplets that form clouds.
- Precipitation returns water to land as rain, snow, sleet or hail, providing fresh water for plants and animals.
- Surface run-off and drainage through soil and rock return water to the seas, completing the continuous cycle.
- Fresh water is produced because dissolved salts remain behind when water evaporates from the sea.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Thinking water is destroyed or used up by plants and animals.
Put it right: Water is recycled, changing state and location but conserved overall.
Confusing evaporation with condensation.
Put it right: Evaporation is liquid to gas, condensation is gas to liquid.
Claiming precipitation is always rain.
Put it right: It includes snow, sleet and hail as well as rain.
Believing water from the sea is already fresh.
Put it right: Evaporation leaves salts behind, so condensed and precipitated water is fresh.
Exam tips
- Use the correct sequence: evaporation and transpiration, condensation, precipitation, then drainage or run-off back to the sea.
- Name the energy source and the process it drives, for example the Sun drives evaporation.
- Link each stage to a consequence for living things, such as precipitation supplying fresh water to plants and animals on land.
- When describing changes of state, state both the starting and finishing state, for example liquid water to water vapour.
Try the lesson
The start of the How materials are cycled: The water cycle provides fresh water for plants and animals on land before draining into the seas. Water is continuously evaporated and precipitated. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
In the water cycle, which process changes liquid water in the sea into water vapour in the air?
Listen
The water cycle is a continuous, solar-powered process that moves water between the oceans, atmosphere and land. Heat from the Sun evaporates water from seas, lakes and rivers; transpiration from plants adds more vapour. As moist air rises it cools, and water vapour condenses into clouds. Precipitation as rain, snow, hail or sleet returns fresh water to land, where it soaks into soil and is taken up by plant roots or drunk by animals. Some water runs over the surface or through rocks, eventually draining into the seas, so the cycle repeats. Because evaporation leaves dissolved salts behind, the water reaching land is fresh, supporting terrestrial life. Energy from the Sun drives evaporation, while gravity drives precipitation and drainage. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Evaporation is driven by energy transferred from the Sun, changing liquid water in seas, lakes and rivers into water vapour. Transpiration from plants releases water vapour, adding to atmospheric moisture alongside evaporation. Cooling of rising moist air causes condensation of water vapour into droplets that form clouds. Precipitation returns water to land as rain, snow, sleet or hail, providing fresh water for plants and animals. A common slip: Thinking water is destroyed or used up by plants and animals. Instead, water is recycled, changing state and location but conserved overall. Exam tip: Use the correct sequence: evaporation and transpiration, condensation, precipitation, then drainage or run-off back to the sea.
See it
Key words
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Cycling of matter
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Energy transfer from the Sun
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Changes of state
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Fresh water supply for living organisms
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See every definition
- Cycling of matter
- Water is continuously evaporated and precipitated, so the cycle repeats as water moves between the oceans, atmosphere and land.
- Energy transfer from the Sun
- Energy from the Sun drives evaporation, while gravity drives precipitation and drainage.
- Changes of state
- Water is continuously evaporated and precipitated, and water vapour condenses into clouds as moist air rises and cools.
- Fresh water supply for living organisms
- The water cycle provides fresh water for plants and animals on land before draining into the seas.
Label the diagram
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1Box 1
2Box 2
3Box 3
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