The Water Cycle Quiz

Grade 6 · Science · Quiz

Test your understanding of the stages and processes of Earth's water cycle.

Questions

What happens during condensation in the water cycle?
1. Liquid water becomes water vapor
2. Water vapor becomes liquid water droplets
3. Water falls as rain or snow
4. Water soaks into the ground
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Answer: Water vapor becomes liquid water droplets
Condensation is the opposite of evaporation — water vapor cools and changes phase back into liquid, forming clouds.
Precipitation can occur as snow, rain, sleet, or hail.
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Answer: True
The form of precipitation depends on temperature. Warm air → rain; cold air → snow or sleet; updrafts → hail.
What is evapotranspiration?
1. Only evaporation from oceans
2. The combined evaporation and transpiration from land surfaces
3. Only water vapor from plants
4. Precipitation that soaks into the ground
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Answer: The combined evaporation and transpiration from land surfaces
Evapotranspiration combines ocean/lake evaporation with the water vapor released by plants through transpiration.
Underground reservoirs that store fresh water are called ___.
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Answer: aquifers
Aquifers are underground layers of porous rock or soil saturated with water. Many communities rely on them for drinking water.
What pulls precipitation down from clouds toward Earth's surface?
1. Solar energy
2. Wind
3. Gravity
4. Magnetism
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Answer: Gravity
Gravity pulls water droplets in clouds down to Earth as precipitation, and also drives runoff toward the ocean.
About 97% of Earth's water is fresh water that humans can easily drink.
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Answer: False
About 97% of Earth's water is salt water in the oceans. Only 3% is fresh, and most of that is frozen in ice caps.
Water flowing over land and into rivers after heavy rainfall is called:
1. Infiltration
2. Condensation
3. Runoff
4. Transpiration
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Answer: Runoff
Runoff occurs when rainfall exceeds what the ground can absorb. It flows into streams and rivers, eventually reaching the ocean.
The water cycle is also called the ___ cycle.
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Answer: hydrological
The hydrological cycle is the scientific term for the water cycle. 'Hydro' comes from the Greek word for water.
Where does most evaporation in the water cycle occur?
1. From rivers and lakes only
2. From the ocean surface
3. From plant leaves
4. From underground aquifers
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Answer: From the ocean surface
Oceans cover 71% of Earth and are the primary source of evaporation, releasing enormous amounts of water vapor into the atmosphere.
The water molecules in your drinking water could have once been part of a dinosaur's body.
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Answer: True
Earth's water is continuously recycled. The water molecules in your body have been part of oceans, glaciers, rain clouds, and yes, prehistoric animals.

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