Which process in the water cycle involves water turning into vapor and rising into the atmosphere?

Which process in the water cycle involves water turning into vapor and rising into the atmosphere?

• A. Evaporation
• B. Condensation
• C. Precipitation
• D. Infiltration

Answer: (A)

The main idea being tested is evaporation, the process by which liquid water becomes water vapor and rises into the atmosphere. When sunlight heats surface water—whether in oceans, lakes, rivers, or damp soil—water molecules gain enough energy to break free from the surface as a gas. That water vapor then rises and moves into the air, later cooling and condensing to form clouds as part of the cycle.

This is different from condensation, which is vapor turning back into liquid; precipitation, which is water falling as rain or snow; and infiltration, which is water seeping down into the soil. Evaporation is the step that turns liquid water into vapor and sends it upward into the atmosphere. A puddle drying up on a sunny day is a familiar example of evaporation in action.