Definitions
This process is when plants release water vapor through their leaves.
What is transpiration?
Name two processes that occur in the water cycle.
Any two of: evaporation, condensation, precipitation, transpiration, infiltration, runoff, sublimation
Which force pulls water back down to Earth as precipitation?
What is gravity?
A student heats a bowl of water under a lamp. Water collects in a cup above it. What does this model represent?
What is evaporation, condensation, and precipitation? (Accept: "the water cycle" or the three-step sequence)
The process of turning from liquid into vapor.
What is evaporation?
This is where most of Earth's water evaporates from.
What is the ocean?
What are the TWO main forces that drive the water cycle?
What are the sun's energy and gravity?
What is one limitation of a small classroom model compared to Earth's real water cycle?
Small models cannot represent large-scale patterns like ocean currents and unequal heating across the globe. (Accept similar answers about scale limitations)
Water is released from clouds as rain, sleet, freezing rain, or hail.
What is precipitation?
Label three parts of the water cycle diagram: the sun, clouds, and ocean.
Sun = heat source/energy source; Clouds = where condensation occurs; Ocean = main water source/reservoir
The sun's energy causes water to evaporate. Which process does gravity primarily cause?
What is precipitation? (or: rain, snow, sleet, hail falling)
Which part of the water cycle is most directly caused by gravity?
What is precipitation (rain, snow, sleet, hail)?
Water moves into the ground and soaks into soil and rock layers.
What is infiltration?
Water flows down mountains and collects in streams. What is this process called?
What is runoff?
Both the sun and gravity are involved in this process. The sun heats water, and gravity pulls it down as precipitation.
What is the complete water cycle? (Accept: "evaporation and precipitation" or "the entire cycle")
A phosphate-contaminated river flows into a lake. Name two sources of this contamination.
Weathering and erosion of rocks containing phosphate 2. Runoff from fertilizers used on land
The conversion of material from solid to gas without becoming liquid first.
What is sublimation?
Explain the difference between runoff and groundwater.
Runoff flows over the land surface into rivers and streams; Groundwater infiltrates into soil and rock layers below the surface and flows underground
Explain how the sun and gravity work together to cycle water through Earth's systems.
The sun's energy evaporates water from Earth's surface into the atmosphere; gravity then pulls the water back down as precipitation, which flows through rivers and infiltrates into the ground, eventually returning to the ocean where the cycle repeats.
Propose two steps to prevent phosphate contamination of a water supply.
Acceptable answers (any two): Reduce/limit fertilizer use; Space out fertilizer application; Use proper fertilizer concentration; Create buffer zones along waterways; Conduct soil testing; Minimize soil erosion; Prevent mining water from entering streams; Create barriers to runoff; Implement refinement processes for mining water