Final answer:
A bowl of water left in the sun dries up due to evaporation, where water changes from liquid to vapor because of energy from the sun. This process reduces the water's temperature via evaporative cooling and is part of the water cycle, which includes sublimation and transpiration.
Step-by-step explanation:
A bowl of water left in the sun all day may dry up primarily because of the process of evaporation. This scientific phenomenon involves the transformation of liquid water on the surface into water vapor without the temperature reaching the boiling point. When the sun heats the water, it provides energy to the water molecules, allowing some of them with enough kinetic energy to overcome the intermolecular forces and escape into the atmosphere as gas. During evaporation, water vapor molecules that escape into the air are not replaced because the bowl is open to the environment, leading to a decrease in the water level until possibly the bowl is dry.
The process of evaporation is part of the water cycle, which is primarily driven by the sun's energy. In the larger context, this also includes sublimation (transition of ice to vapor) and transpiration (release of water vapor from plant leaves). Evaporative cooling is a side effect of evaporation, which makes the temperature of the remaining liquid lower as the water evaporates.