This key facts covers Key Facts to Know within The Water Cycle for GCSE Biology. Topic 6: The Water Cycle It is section 6 of 11 in this topic. Use this key facts to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
📋 Key Facts to Know
- Water enters the atmosphere by evaporation (from oceans/lakes) AND transpiration (from plant leaves via stomata)
- Water vapour condenses at altitude as it cools, forming clouds
- Precipitation (rain, snow) returns water from clouds to the land and oceans
- Percolation is the movement of water down through soil into groundwater
- Surface run-off carries water across the land into rivers and back to the sea
- Plants play an active role — a single tree can transpire hundreds of litres of water per day
- Water availability is an abiotic factor — it determines which organisms can survive in an ecosystem
- Deforestation reduces transpiration and can decrease local rainfall, threatening biodiversity
- The water cycle is powered primarily by solar energy (sun heats water causing evaporation)
Practice questions for The Water Cycle
What is the water cycle?
Explain the role of transpiration in the water cycle.
Quick recall flashcards
What is evaporation in the water cycle?
The sun's energy heats liquid water on the surface of oceans, lakes and rivers.
Water molecules gain enough energy to escape as water vapour (an invisible gas) and rise into the atmosphere.
What is the water cycle?
The continuous movement of water between oceans, atmosphere, land and living organisms.
Driven by solar energy. Water is recycled — never created or destroyed.