Colin watched the weather report on television. He saw the forecast for the coming week. He knows that the water cycle follows certain steps in a repeating cycle. When the sun heats water molecules, they increase speed and collide. On Sunday, he noticed that a puddle on the sidewalk was getting smaller over time. Which step in the water cycle would Colin predict is occurring?

• Crystallization

• Condensation

• Evaporation

• Precipitation

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

NGSS.MS-PS1-4

A certain area received a large amount of rain, and some of it remained on top of the soil. What happened to the rest of this water?

• Evaporated

• Absorbed by plants

• Infiltrated into the ground

• Condensed into clouds

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

Clouds are formed when water vapor...

• Rises and cools

• Falls and cools

• Rises and heats

• Falls and heats

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

Which of the following is an accurate example of how the water cycle can influence local weather?

• Water in a lake soaks into the local groundwater system.

• An increase in evaporation rates along a coastal area leads to afternoon thunderstorms.

• An increase in an area's precipitation causes the area to experience a drought.

• All of these

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

Ja’ron lives near a river that flows through farmland. He notices that the river has become more polluted over the years. The water that was once clear is now sometimes cloudy and has an unpleasant odor. What is the most likely cause of the pollution in the river?

• Pesticides and fertilizer

• Industrial waste

• Oil and gasoline

• Heat

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-4

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

In the water cycle, after water is precipitated back to Earth, it goes through the runoff stage in which it is collected into larger bodies. Which bodies of water does runoff include?

• Streams

• Lakes

• Rivers

• All of these

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

In general, surface water always flows…

• Toward the equator

• North to south

• Downhill

• South to north

A stream that flows into two different rivers is part of two

• Reservoirs

• Tributaries

• Divides

• Watersheds

Ken notices several patterns on a wind-belt map that shows how global winds travel. Which explains why global winds do not move in straight paths?

• Warm air rises

• Earth rotates

• Air pressure

• Jet streams

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

Some areas of the Earth receive more solar radiation than others. Which of the following results from the Sun's uneven heating of the Earth?

• Ocean currents

• Mountain height

• Climate

• Weather

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6