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The Water Cycle

Total questions: 52

Worksheet time: 1hrs 17mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

In the morning, you observe that water droplets have formed on grass. Which process occurred when the water droplets formed on the grass?

a)

condensation

b)

deposition

c)

evaporation

d)

sublimation

2.

Dylan is doing a science experiment on the stomata of plants. Dylan has a tomato plant. He uses wax to cover all the stomata on the leaves of the plant. After five days, Dylan observes that the plant is wilting. What is the best explanation for Dylan's observation?

a)

The plant released too much water into the air.

b)

The plant was unable to carry out transpiration.

c)

Condensation could not occur on the leaves of the plant.

d)

The plant was unable to take in water through its leaves.

3.

Taylor grows plants in a container called a terrarium. She keeps the terrarium on a sunny windowsill.

The terrarium is closed, so Taylor cannot add water to the plants. However, the plants have enough water to grow. Which of these statements best explains why the plants always have enough water?

a)

The air cannot hold all of the water vapor.

b)

Water is unable to evaporate from the soil.

c)

Energy from the sun cycles water through the soil, the plants, and the air.

d)

The plants take up water and store it in their stems and leaves.

4.

Which of these changes of state would involve water absorbing energy?

a)

condensation

b)

deposition

c)

evaporation

d)

freezing

5.

Which statement best describes the movement of liquid water from land back into a body of water?

a)

condensation

b)

evaporation

c)

precipitation

d)

runoff

6.

In which form does water rise into the atmosphere when it evaporates?

a)

water vapor

b)

water droplets

c)

snow

d)

ice

7.

Which term best describes a change of state from a liquid to a gas caused by the sun's energy?

a)

evaporation

b)

sublimation

c)

deposition

d)

precipitation

8.

Nicholas pours a small beaker of water into a vase that contained different layers. What is the correct term for the movement of water from the surface of Earth to the groundwater?

a)

infiltration

b)

precipitation

c)

runoff

d)

transpiration

9.
What is it called when plants give off water vapor as a waste product?
a)
condensation
b)
evaporation
c)
sublimation
d)
transpiration
10.
Which stage does the #2 show in the diagram?
a)
condensation
b)
evaporation
c)
precipitation
d)
run off
11.
Which stage does the #3 show in the diagram?
a)
condensation
b)
evaporation
c)
precipitation
d)
run off
12.
Precipitation happens when clouds of water droplets are too ______________.
a)
cold
b)
light
c)
heavy
d)
hot
13.
What is water that flows in rivers and streams into the oceans and lakes?
a)
evaporating
b)
condensing
c)
precipitating
d)
runoff
14.
What source of energy evaporates the most water from Earth’s surface?
a)
volcanoes
b)
the sun
c)
lightning
d)
wind
15.
What is water vapor?
a)
Water on the land (geosphere)
b)
Water in the air (atmosphere)
c)
Water in plants
d)
Water in the water (hydrosphere)
16.
Which is the opposite of condensation?
a)
runoff
b)
evaporation
c)
precipitation
d)
transpiration
17.
Snow, sleet, hail, and rain are all examples of  ________________. 
a)
evaporation
b)
condensation
c)
accumulation
d)
precipitation
18.
What comes after evaporation during the water cycle?
How does this occur?
a)
Water evaporates into water vapor
b)
Water vapor condenses and forms a  cloud
c)
Water precipitates to the ground
d)
Water runs down into the hydrosphere
19.
Which best explains why runoff is important?
a)
It returns water to other locations on Earth
b)
It increases the chance of flooding
c)
It makes evaporation occur faster
d)
It increases condensation
20.
Precipitation occurs because 
a)
the droplets evaporate in the air
b)
the droplets are too light for the air to hold
c)
the droplets are too heavy for the air to hold
21.
What is a layer of rock or sediment that holds water?
a)
glacier
b)
well
c)
aquifer
d)
natural spring
22.

Where is most water found on Earth?

a)

glaciers

b)

oceans

c)

rivers

d)

lakes

23.

What is the part of the water cycle called where the precipitation falls from the atmosphere and creates a large body of water? It consists of rivers, lakes, ponds, and oceans.

a)

collection

b)

evaporation

c)

condensation

d)

precipitation

24.

How is transpiration important to the water cycle?

a)

It is the evaporation of water from the leaves of plants back into the atmosphere allowing the cycle to continue.

b)

It results in the deposition of water vapor directly as ice, so water changes states causing the cycle to move to the next phase.

c)

It allows plants to absorb water through their roots which is then precipitated back into the atmosphere.

d)

It permits the diffusion of water from the surface to water tables deep underground which restores groundwater supplies.

25.

In which area would the rate of evaporation be the lowest?

a)

Over the ocean

b)

Over the mountains

c)

Over the rainforest

d)

Over the desert

26.

As a part of the water cycle, water from Earth's surface enters the clouds and finally falls back to the ground in the form of rain. What is the correct sequence of processes water undergoes?

a)

Evaporation, Condensation, Precipitation

b)

Precipitation, Condensation, Evaporation

c)

Condensation, Evaporation, Precipitation

d)

Evaporation, Precipitation, Condensation

27.

How do transpiration and evaporation compare?

a)

During both processes, liquid water changes to water vapor.

b)

During both processes, water vapor changes to liquid water.

c)

During transpiration, liquid water changes to water vapor, and during evaporation, water vapor changes to liquid water.

d)

During transpiration, water vapor changes to liquid water, and during evaporation, liquid water changes to water vapor.

28.

The image shows various stages in the water cycle. During which stage does water flow back towards the sea as runoff?

a)

W

b)

X

c)

Y

d)

Z

29.

In what layer of the atmosphere does all weather occur?

a)

Exosphere

b)

Mesosphere

c)

Thermosphere

d)

Troposphere

30.

What is another name or synonym for the water cycle?

a)

Geologic cycle

b)

Hydrologic cycle

c)

Geosphere

d)

Carbon cycle

31.

The movement caused within a fluid by the tendency of hotter and therefore less dense material to rise, and colder, denser material to sink under the influence of gravity, which consequently results in transfer of heat. ____________________

a)

Evaporation

b)

Convection

c)

Precipitation

d)

Transpiration

32.

A ………………………………. is the area of land drained by a river system ( a river and its tributaries).

a)

Watershed

b)

Drainage Basin

c)

Confluence

d)

Water table

33.

Drainage basins are separated by ………………………….

a)

Watersheds

b)

Water tables

c)

Walls

d)

Communities

34.

Inputs into the drainage basin system includes

a)

Rain

b)

Snow

c)

Hail

35.
What is it called when plants give off water vapor as a waste product?
a)
condensation
b)
evaporation
c)
sublimation
d)
transpiration
36.
When water _________, dew forms.
a)
Melts
b)
Evaporates
c)
Condenses
d)
Precipitates
37.

97% of the Earth's water is located in....

a)

ground water

b)

the ocean

c)

lakes, rivers, and streams

d)

glaciers

38.
Which of the following causes all of the water on the planet to change its state (solid, liquid, gas) and move through the water cycle?
a)
amount of plant matter
b)
location of ice caps
c)
size of ocean
d)
temperature
39.
Chemical formula to represent water's unique structure
a)
Hydrogen + 2 Oxygen
b)
2 Hydrogen + 1 Oxygen
c)
HO
d)
OH
40.
Water is known as ________ because so many substances can dissolve in it.
a)
liquid
b)
capillary action
c)
changing state
d)
universal solvent
41.

The hydrological cycle is often described as an _____________ cycle.

a)

Open

b)

Leaky

c)

Spikey

d)

Closed

42.

What is the energy source for the hydrological cycle?

a)

the Sun

b)

the Earth

c)

water

d)

the Moon

43.
When water condenses, the liquid water forms ______________.
a)
water vapor
b)
steam
c)
air
d)
clouds
44.

What is it called when trees get in the way of rain reaching the surface?

a)

Evapotranspiration

b)

Interception

c)

Infiltration

d)

Photosynthesis

45.

What is it called when moisture from plants and leaves is lost to the atmosphere?

a)

Transpiration

b)

Condensation

c)

Throughflow

d)

Percolation

46.

The movement of water from the soil layer to the rock layer is called...

a)

Interception

b)

Percolation

c)

Infiltration

d)

Evaporation

47.

What is an area of land drained by a main river and its tributaries?

a)

Watershed

b)

Bath Tub

c)

Drainage Basin

d)

Water Cycle

48.

Which of the following is an INPUT to a drainage basin?

a)

Surface Runoff

b)

Evaporation

c)

Interception

d)

Precipitation

49.

The earth maintains a delicate balance of insolation energy by reflecting approximately one third of the incoming solar radiation, and emitting the remaining two-thirds that are absorbed as infrared radiation back to space. Most of the incoming solar radiation is used to _______________________ in the hydrological cycle

a)

percolation

b)

condensation

c)

precipitation

d)

evapotranspiration

50.

Which of the following list forms the ground water stores.

a)

sea, clouds, wind and lakes

b)

rivers, aquifers, clouds and vapor

c)

trees, icecaps, lakes and clouds

d)

aquifers, lakes, rivers and glaciers

51.

_____________ occurs when water seeps into the ground to replenish underground aquifers.

a)

runoff

b)

evaporation

c)

recharge

d)

condensation

52.

The earth is made up of different surfaces and these affect the rate both infiltration and water holding capacity. In which surface will there be shortage of groundwater?

a)

Limestone surfaces

b)

Clay surfaces

c)

Basaltic surfaces at more than 20m below a permeable surface

d)

Granitic surfaces at more than 20m below a permeable surface