Book 1, Question 59 · Video
Why Do Rivers Flow to the Sea? Water Always Runs Downhill!
Rivers start small! Raindrops on a hillside trickle into tiny rills, rills join to become streams, and streams merge into rivers, all because water runs downhill. Oceans sit at the
Read the full answer →What Crafty Clover says in this video
Intro
Hi! I'm Crafty Clover! Let's discover something amazing. Why do rivers flow to the sea?
The Big Idea
Rivers can wind and twist across the land, but they almost always end up at the sea. Why? Here's the big idea: water always flows downhill, and the ocean sits at the very bottom!
Water Runs Downhill
Step one: water runs downhill. When rain falls, or snow melts on a mountain, the water lands on sloping ground. Gravity pulls it down, down, down the hillside. Water always takes the easiest path downhill!
Rills to Rivers
Step two: rills become streams, then rivers. Tiny trickles of water are called rills. When rills join together, they make small flowing channels called streams. Streams join up too, and grow into a broad, powerful river!
Oceans at the Bottom
Step three: oceans sit at the bottom of the slope. The ocean is the lowest place the water can reach. We call it sea level. So the river keeps flowing downhill until it pours into the sea. Its journey is done!
A Closer Look
Let's follow a river's journey! Raindrops land high on the hillside. They gather into tiny rills. The rills join to make streams. The streams join into one big river. And the river flows all the way down to the sea!
Quick Facts
Quick facts! Fresh water from the mighty Amazon River has been found far out in the Atlantic Ocean. That's how powerful rivers can be! Small rivers that feed into a bigger river are called tributaries. The Nile and the Amazon are the two longest rivers on Earth. At the sea, the water warms, rises into clouds, and rains again. It's the water cycle!
Think Like a Scientist
Now, think like a scientist! After it rains, go outside with a grown-up and watch a gutter. Look for tiny trickles. See how they join up and flow downhill? Where does the water go next? That's the same idea that sends rivers to the sea!
Outro
Rivers flow to the sea because water always runs downhill, and the ocean is at the bottom! Keep asking, keep exploring! Crafty Clover can be found on Amazon Books, Google Bookstore, and Apple Books. Available for purchase or download! Bye for now!