Understanding the Water Cycle

What are the four main stages of the water cycle?

• Sublimation, filtration, irrigation, absorption

• Condensation, evaporation, filtration, runoff

• Collection, evaporation, infiltration, transpiration

• Evaporation, condensation, precipitation, collection

Define evaporation in your own words.

• Evaporation is when vapor turns into liquid.

• Evaporation is the mixing of different liquids.

• Evaporation is the transformation of liquid into vapor.

• Evaporation is the process of freezing water.

What happens to water during the evaporation process?

• Water molecules transition from liquid to gas during evaporation.

• Water freezes into ice during evaporation.

• Water molecules become solid during evaporation.

• Water remains in liquid form without any change.

Name one factor that affects the rate of evaporation.

• Humidity

• Temperature

• Wind speed

• Altitude

How does temperature influence evaporation?

• Higher temperatures increase the rate of evaporation.

• Humidity has no effect on evaporation rates.

• Lower temperatures decrease the rate of evaporation.

• Evaporation occurs faster in colder environments.

What is condensation and how does it relate to evaporation?

• Condensation is the process of liquid water turning into water vapor.

• Condensation and evaporation are the same process occurring simultaneously.

• Condensation is the process of water vapor turning into liquid water, and it is the opposite of evaporation.

• Evaporation is the process of water turning into ice.

Describe the process of precipitation in the water cycle.

• Precipitation occurs when water is absorbed by the soil.

• Precipitation is the process of water being stored in lakes and rivers.

• Precipitation is the evaporation of water from the ground.

• Precipitation is the process where water vapor condenses in the atmosphere and falls to the ground as rain, snow, sleet, or hail.

What role do plants play in the water cycle?

• Plants absorb water from the soil and store it indefinitely.

• Plants have no impact on the water cycle whatsoever.

• Plants contribute to the water cycle by transpiration, releasing water vapor into the atmosphere.

• Plants only use water for photosynthesis and do not release any vapor.

Explain how water returns to the earth after evaporation.

• Water evaporates into space and is lost forever.

• Water is converted into steam and remains in the atmosphere.

• Water is absorbed by plants and never returns to the earth.

• Water returns to the earth after evaporation through precipitation.

What is the difference between evaporation and transpiration?

• Evaporation is the release of water from soil, while transpiration is the absorption of water by plants.

• Evaporation is water turning into vapor from surfaces, while transpiration is water vapor released from plants.

• Evaporation occurs only in cold temperatures, while transpiration happens in warm temperatures.

• Transpiration is the process of water freezing on surfaces, while evaporation is water vapor condensing into liquid.