The Water Cycle

What is the Water Cycle?

The water cycle is a way that water moves all around the Earth. It
never stops, it does not have a beginning or an end. It's like a big circle! The
water cycle describes how water is exchanged (cycled) through Earth’s land,
ocean, and atmosphere. Water always exists in all three phases, and in
many forms- as lakes and rivers, glaciers and ice sheets, ocean and seas,
underground aquifers, and vapor in the air and clouds.

The water cycle consists of three major processes: evaporation,

condensation, and precipitation.

Evaporation is the process of liquid’s surface changing to a gas. In the

water cycle, liquid water(in the ocean, lakes, or rivers) evaporates and
becomes water vapor.
Condensation is the process of a gas changing to a liquid. In the water
cycle, water vapor in the atmosphere condenses and becomes liquid.
Condensation can happen high in the atmosphere or at ground level.
As in the case with evaporation and condensation, precipitation is a
process. Precipitation describes any liquid or solid water that falls to Earth
as a result of condensation in the atmosphere. Precipitation includes rain,
snow and hail.
QUESTIONS:

1) When clouds get too heavy to hold water in the water cycle, what
happens?

A. The water falls to the Earth

B. The water evaporates

C. Another cloud forms

D. The clouds get very large

Item No. 1
Competency Explaining phenomena scientifically.
Knowledge-system Content Knowledge
Context Local
Cognitive Demand Medium
Item Format Sample Multiple Choice

2) Studying the water cycle, why is the ocean salty?

A. Groundwater picks up salt and minerals as it makes its way to the ocean

B. It is rinsed from the scales and skin of ocean animals

C. Salt is carried down in rainwater

D. Human pollution made it that way

Item No. 2
Competency Explaining phenomena scientifically
Knowledge-system Content Knowledge
Context Local
Cognitive Demand Medium
Item Format Sample Multiple Choice

3) The class created models of the water cycle in plastic bags. Which would
represent the precipitation stage of the water cycle?

A. The amount of water in the cup.

B. The water vapor at the top of the bag.

C. The amount of sunlight heating the water.

D. The water droplets running down the side of the bag.

Item No. 3
Competency Explaining phenomena scientifically
Knowledge-system Content Knowledge
Context Local
Cognitive Demand Medium
Item Format Sample Multiple Choice

Prepared by:

Reymark L. Malayao

Penablanca East National High School