The Water Cycle · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

The Water Cycle: Nature's Big Loop

Science · Weather & Climate · ages 7-9
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. What is it called when water vapour cools down and forms clouds?

    • Precipitation
    • Condensation
    • Evaporation

  2. What is it called when the Sun heats water and turns it into vapour?

    • Evaporation
    • Condensation
    • Precipitation

  3. The Sun helps power the water cycle.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. Why does the water cycle need the Sun?

    • The Sun makes wind blow the clouds away
    • The Sun heats water so it can evaporate and rise
    • The Sun cools the air so rain can fall

  5. Which of these is NOT one of the three main water cycle stages?

    • Evaporation
    • Freezing
    • Precipitation

  6. Look at the steps below. What comes between evaporation and rain falling?

    Evaporation?Rain falls
    • Condensation
    • Freezing
    • Melting

  7. Ben says: 'The water cycle stops once rain falls to the ground.' What is wrong with what Ben said?

    • Rain falling means the Sun stopped shining
    • Nothing, he is right
    • The water cycle keeps going forever, rain just starts the loop again

  8. A lake has less water in summer than in winter, even though no rain fell either season. Why?

    • More evaporation happens in summer heat
    • The lake condensed into clouds
    • The lake froze and shrank
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

The Water Cycle: Nature's Big Loop W1-mt_fhqVdj4BYr-s1

  1. Condensation · Condensation happens when vapour cools and turns back into tiny droplets that make up clouds.
  2. Evaporation · Evaporation is when heat turns liquid water into invisible vapour that rises into the air.
  3. True · The Sun's heat causes water to evaporate, which is what gets the whole cycle started.
  4. The Sun heats water so it can evaporate and rise · Without the Sun's heat, water could not evaporate, and the cycle could not begin.
  5. Freezing · Freezing is not one of the three main stages. The three stages are evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.
  6. Condensation · Condensation comes in the middle: vapour cools into clouds before it falls as rain.
  7. The water cycle keeps going forever, rain just starts the loop again · The water cycle is a loop with no end. Water that falls as rain can evaporate again and start the trip over.
  8. More evaporation happens in summer heat · Stronger summer sunshine heats the lake more, so more water evaporates from its surface.
Worksheet · LightMySky