Pan Water CyclePan Water CycleThis model represents a model of a pan filled with water. The water will eventually evaporate, at which point it will then condense on the lid of the pan and fall back into the water below. Models such as this can help to simulate the much larger pan of water that is our oceans, whose evaporation yields rain.
The water in this model is divided into three categories - water in the pan, water in the air, and water on the cover of the pan. Water can transform between each of these categories through evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. The quantity of water in each area is displayed on the graph to the right.
Set the parameters of the model to your liking to determine the rate at which water evaporates, leaks, condenses, and so on. Then, run the model and view your results on the right.
In general, any setup should reach equilibrium at some point, when the water in the pan, in the air, and on the cover is relatively constant. However, the total water will continuously decrease due to leakage.