Question

What are the different states in which water is found during the water cycle?

Answer 1

Water cycle, another name is hydrologic cycle. It is movement of the water which includes the continuous circulation of water in the Earth’s atmosphere system. Water occurs in different physical states, in the course of its movement around the earth. Among various processes involved in the water cycle, there are major processes that are evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, and runoff.

Complete answer:
In the process of water cycle, water exists in three different states. These are Gaseous state (in the form of water vapour), Liquid state (in the form of rain, groundwater and in water bodies) and Solid state (in snow and ice form).

Gaseous state of water- Water exists in the gas vapour in the gaseous state. It converts from liquid state to gaseous form from the surface of water bodies and gets mixed with air, this is called evaporation. Vapour form of water i.e. a gas form, is found in Earth's atmosphere.

Liquid State of water- When water vapour gets condensed, at a high altitude in the atmosphere and again falls back to the earth in the form of rain i.e. in liquid state, is called condensation. Some examples of liquid water occurrences are oceans, rivers, lakes. Even underground is also present in the liquid state.

Solid state of water - In the Solid state of water, water becomes solid by the freezing of liquid droplets in the upper layer of atmosphere, and when these droplets fall on the earth in the form of snow hail and sleet then it is called precipitation. Some examples where solid ice exists are glaciers, snow, and also at the North and South Poles.

Additional information: The hydrological cycle is an important process to rejuvenate freshwater resources. It includes the conversion of water into water vapour by the effect of heat of the sun, which then gets condensed into droplets of water that fall on the earth in the form of rain. The continuous recycling of water makes the recharging of all water resources.

Note: In the flow of water, it passes through or over the rocks containing soluble minerals, this soluble mineral get dissolved in the flowing water and gets transported to remote far-off places, to rivers and then to the seas, further these minerals are used by marine organisms.