Water Cycle Questions

Mariah noticed a large puddle on the sidewalk after a rain storm. A few hours later, the puddle was almost gone. Mariah wonders what happened to the water.

What is the mostly likely explanation?

• The water soaked into the ground.

• An animal drank the water

• The water turned into a solid

• The water evaporated

After it rains, some water soaks into the earth, some water evaporates, and some water flows into lakes, rivers, or the ocean. What do we call the water that collects in

these bodies of water?

• precipitation

• accumulation

• humidity

• rainfall

Some farmers do not use fertilizers and pesticides on their crops. This helps keep our water supply clean and safe to drink. During what process is water most likely to become polluted by chemicals on plants?

• Evaporation

• Runnoff

• transpiration

• precipitation

Nathan and Natalie are making breakfast for their parents. As Nathan heats a pot of water to make coffee, Natalie notices steam or water vapor rising from the coffee pot. What process causes water to change from a liquid to a vapor?

• evaporation

• transpiration

• precipitation

• cooling

Plants use sunlight, air, and water during photosynthesis. Some of the water a plant takes in is released from the leaves into the atmosphere. What is this process called?

• condensation

• photosynthesis

• transpiration

• water cycle

When there is a drought (a period of time with little or no rainfall) the amount of water stored beneath the earth’s surface can become low. What is this water located under the surface called?

• groundwater

• accumulation

• water vapour

• humidity

Owen is conducting a science investigation. He wants to find out how heat affects different liquids. He lets a pot of water boil. After 20 minutes, he notices there is less water in the pot than when he started. What happened to the water?

• It melted

• It condensed

• It evaporated

• nothing

On field day, the students in Mr. Harper’s class bring out bottles of cold water to drink. After about 20 minutes, all of the bottles had little droplets of water on the outside. What is this an example of?

• condensation

• leaking

• runoff

• humidity

Ashton was watching the weather forecast on TV. The reporter said that the high temperature would be 27 degrees with 80% humidity. Ashton remembered from

science class that humidity is the amount of _____________ in the air.

• clouds

• rainfall

• oxygen

• moisture

Jenna is writing a report about how water moves between the earth and the atmosphere. She writes about evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. What would be the best title for her report?

• All about the earth

• oceans and lakes

• the water cycle

• where water comes from