Water Cycle Study Guide

What causes the most water vapor to enter the atmosphere?

• Low temperatures

• High temperatures

• More rainfall

• Less sunlight

Answer explanation

High temperatures increase evaporation rates, leading to more water vapor entering the atmosphere. Warmer air can hold more moisture, making high temperatures the primary cause of increased atmospheric water vapor.

What is the first step necessary for water to move into the atmosphere?

• Freezing

• Evaporation

• Condensation

• Precipitation

Answer explanation

Evaporation is the process where water changes from liquid to vapor, allowing it to move into the atmosphere. This is essential for the water cycle, while freezing, condensation, and precipitation are different processes.

What happens when water vapor gets cold and condenses?

• It turns into ice.

• It forms liquid water.

• It becomes gas.

• It evaporates.

Answer explanation

When water vapor cools, it loses energy and condenses into liquid water. This process is essential in the water cycle, leading to the formation of clouds and precipitation.

What process is responsible for the formation of clouds in the atmosphere?

• Evaporation

• Precipitation

• Condensation

• Freezing

Answer explanation

Clouds form through condensation, where water vapor in the air cools and changes back into liquid droplets, creating clouds. This process is essential for cloud formation, unlike evaporation, precipitation, or freezing.

Solve the riddle

• Meterologist

• Condensation

• Evaporation

• Precipation

Answer explanation

The riddle's correct answer is 'Precipitation', which refers to any form of water, liquid or solid, that falls from the atmosphere to the Earth's surface, such as rain or snow. This aligns with the context of weather-related terms.

Which of the following are examples of freshwater? Select ALL that apply.

• Glaciers

• Rivers and Lakes

• Groundwater

• Ocean

The water company Aquafina is looking for a new source of water to fill its water bottles with. Aquafina is deciding between getting the new water from the oceans or from glaciers. Which of the following arguments best supports the choice to get water from oceans?

• There is much more water in oceans than in glaciers

• Glacier water is salty and ocean water is fresh

• Ocean water doesn’t evaporate and glacier water does.

• Ocean water molecules are larger than glacier water molecules

Answer explanation

The argument "There is much more water in oceans than in glaciers" best supports the choice to get water from oceans, as it highlights the vast availability of ocean water compared to the limited supply from glaciers.

Which of the following arguments best supports the choice to get water from glaciers instead of the ocean?

• There is much more water in glaciers than in oceans

• Glacier water is fresh and ocean water is salty

• Glacier water doesn’t evaporate and ocean water does.

• Glacier water molecules are larger than ocean water molecules

Answer explanation

The correct choice highlights that glacier water is fresh, making it suitable for drinking and irrigation, while ocean water is salty and not directly usable for these purposes.

While researching to help make their decision, Aquafina, a water company, found a table showing the amount of water stored in glaciers, groundwater, and rivers & lakes. Glaciers have 24 million km of water, groundwater has 10 million km of water, and rivers & lakes has 0.4 million km of water. With the data in hand, which of the following graphs accurately shows the data in this table?

• A

• B

• C

• D

Answer explanation

Graph A accurately represents the data: glaciers (24 million km) are the largest, followed by groundwater (10 million km), and rivers & lakes (0.4 million km), showing the correct proportions visually.

Why does water vapor condense as it moves higher in the atmosphere?

• The atmosphere is warmer higher up.

• The atmosphere is colder higher up.

• The atmosphere is drier higher up.

• The atmosphere is windier higher up.

Answer explanation

Water vapor condenses as it rises because the atmosphere is colder higher up. As the temperature drops, the capacity of air to hold moisture decreases, leading to condensation.