Book 7, Question 12
Why Do Puddles Form and Then Disappear?
A puddle forms where rain collects faster than the ground can soak it up. Then it disappears in two ways: some water seeps down into the soil, and some evaporates into the air as invisible vapor.
More fun facts
- Water soaking into the ground is called infiltration.
- Water changing from a liquid into an invisible gas called water vapor is called evaporation. The word evaporate even has vapor in it.
- Heat makes water molecules jiggle so hard that some break free and float into the air.
- Some scientists think light itself, not just heat, can help water evaporate. In some tests, water under light evaporated more than twice as fast as expected.
- The water cycle is more than evaporation, condensation and rain. It also includes water soaking into soil and moving underground.
- People play a big part in the modern water cycle too.
Sources: NOAA, NASA Science, Science News Explores, NOAA
Questions kids ask
Where does a puddle go?
Some water soaks into the ground and some evaporates into the air as water vapor.
Can light make water evaporate?
Some scientists think light itself can help water evaporate faster.