What are the main stages of the water cycle?

What are the main stages of the water cycle?

• A. Evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and river flow.
• B. Evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and infiltration.
• C. Evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and precipitation.
• D. Evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection/runoff.

Answer: (D)

Water moves through stages where liquid water becomes vapor (evaporation), the vapor groups together as clouds (condensation), and those clouds release water as rain or snow (precipitation). After precipitation, the water must return to bodies of water to keep the cycle going, which happens as water gathers in rivers, lakes, and oceans or runs off the land into them. This collection/runoff step closes the loop, letting evaporation start the cycle again. Other options mention infiltration or stick with precipitation again, but those don’t capture the idea of water returning to surface water to continue the cycle as clearly.

Water moves through stages where liquid water becomes vapor (evaporation), the vapor groups together as clouds (condensation), and those clouds release water as rain or snow (precipitation). After precipitation, the water must return to bodies of water to keep the cycle going, which happens as water gathers in rivers, lakes, and oceans or runs off the land into them. This collection/runoff step closes the loop, letting evaporation start the cycle again.

Other options mention infiltration or stick with precipitation again, but those don’t capture the idea of water returning to surface water to continue the cycle as clearly.