4.3 The Water Cycle

Question 1

What is evaporation?

Answer 1

Evaporation is the transformation of liquid water to water vapour. It is caused by the heat of the suns rays.

Question 2

Where does water evaporate from?

Answer 2

Water evaporates from bodies of water (Lake, Ocean, River, etc…), soil, animals and plants.

Question 3

What is the process of water evaporating from plants called?

Answer 3

Transpiration

Question 4

What is left behind when the water turns into vapour?

Answer 4

Salts, Pollutants and Impurities are left behind because they are mostly solid matter.

Question 5

What happens during condensation? (Before, During and After)

Answer 5

1. While the air rises, it cools and can no longer hold as much water vapour
2. The cooled water vapour tuns into liquid again
3. Tiny droplets collect around dust particles, forming clouds or fog

Question 6

Why does it rain/precipitate?

Answer 6

Because, eventually so much water accumulates in the sky, that it can’t be held anymore.

Question 7

Forms of precipitation…

Answer 7

Rain, Hail, Sleet, Snow

Question 8

How are glaciers made?

Answer 8

1. When snow that has fallen on a mountain or polar region, settles and freezes
2. Layerse accumulate and turns the bottom layers of snow to ice forming a glacier

Question 9

What is sublimation?

Answer 9

When snow and ice at the surface (of a glacier) turns directly back into water vapour

Question 10

What is runoff?

Answer 10

Water flowing along the surface of the ground

Question 11

Where does runoff go?

Answer 11

Runoff gathers in Rivers, Lakes and Oceans. Lakes and Ponds can form in low lying areas and depressions.

Question 12

What are Estuaries?

Answer 12

Estuaries are areas where fresh water from rivers and salt water from oceans, mix to form salty or brackish (between salt and fresh) water

Question 13

Give a description of a Marsh…

Answer 13

Marshes are low, treeless areas that are not always filled with water. They have wet, soft ground that can be filled with salt or fresh and usually inhabited by cattails, grass and other plants.

Question 14

Give a description of a Swamp…

Answer 14

Swamps are like Marshes and are found in low lying areas with soft, wet ground, not filled year round. They are also filled with fresh or salt water. but unlike marshes are inhabited with many trees and shrubs.

Question 15

Why are there sometimes desserts on the sides of mountains?

Answer 15

That is because air losses a lot of moisture when it blows over mountains, thus not a lot of precipitation is on the far side.

Question 16

What is groundwater?

Answer 16

It is water that has been absorbed into the ground and is stored there

Question 17

Why is rain not the same pure water as water vapour?

Answer 17

That is because there are usually chemical reactions that happen in the atmosphere that can contaminate the water.