1+-+Evaporation

**Evaporation**
Evaporation occurs when energy from the sun changes liquid water into water vapor. The sun's energy heats up water from oceans, lakes, ponds, and rivers and causes it to evaporate. Once water is changed into water vapor it is now a gas and becomes part of the air around us. The water vapor rises, cools, and condenses to form clouds. Almost all rain water that falls to the ground, eighty percent, returns to the air because of evaporation. The rate of evaporation depends on wind speed, temperature, and humidity. The higher the wind speed or temperature, the more evaporation. The lower the humidity, the more evaporation.