The Flow of Fresh Water: Lake Water Cycle Quiz

If solar energy heats the surface water of a lake, then the water molecules move faster and turn into gas; if water turns into gas and rises into the air, then the process is called evaporation.

If water vapor in the atmosphere loses heat energy, then it changes from a gas back into liquid droplets; if these droplets gather together in the sky, then the process is defined as condensation.

If water in the form of rain, snow, or sleet falls from clouds due to gravity, then it is returning to the Earth's surface; if it falls into a lake, then it is the precipitation stage of the cycle.

If gravity pulls water down a slope toward a lower point like a lake, then the water moves across the land surface; if it moves over the ground instead of soaking in, then it is known as surface runoff.

If a lake holds a large volume of liquid water for a period of time before it evaporates or flows out, then it acts as a storage site; if it stores water, then it is a reservoir within the hydrosphere.

If plants absorb water through their roots, then they move it to their leaves; if that water is released as vapor through small holes in the leaves into the air, then the process is called transpiration.

If liquid water moves downward into the geosphere through pores in soil and rock, then it is entering the groundwater system; if it enters the ground this way, then the process is called infiltration.

If a lake is part of the Earth's water (hydrosphere) and the air is the atmosphere, then evaporation moving water between them is a direct interaction between the hydrosphere and atmosphere.

If the water cycle requires heat to cause evaporation and move air masses, then it needs a massive energy source; if the Sun provides the thermal energy to the Earth, then it is the primary driver of the cycle.

If higher temperatures provide more energy to water molecules, then more molecules can escape the liquid state; if more escape, then the rate of evaporation increases.

If the biosphere consists of all living things, then an animal is a part of the biosphere; if the animal drinks from the lake, then a living thing is removing water from the hydrosphere.

If a lake loses water through evaporation and outflow but gains water through precipitation and runoff, then the volume depends on the balance; if the inputs and outputs are equal, then the level stays the same.

If water droplets in a cloud become heavy enough, then they must fall toward the center of the Earth; if gravity is the force that pulls all objects toward the Earth's center, then gravity causes precipitation.

If any body of water is exposed to the air, then evaporation can occur; if a small pond or puddle allows for evaporation and collects rain, then it is participating in the water cycle just like a large lake.

If infiltration requires water to soak through porous soil, and if concrete is a solid, non-porous barrier, then the water cannot pass through; therefore, infiltration is blocked or decreased.

If water carries dirt and sand (sediment) into a still lake, then the movement slows down; if the water slows down, then gravity pulls the heavy sediment to the bottom, leaving the water at the top cleaner.

If water is stored and moves within the geosphere below the surface, then it is groundwater; if it eventually seeps into a lake basin from below, then it is groundwater flow.

If the geosphere includes the rocks, minerals, and ground of Earth, then any water held within those spaces is interacting with that sphere; if it is in the ground, it is in the geosphere.

If the cryosphere consists of frozen water (snow/ice) and the lake is part of the liquid hydrosphere, then snow melting into the lake is an interaction between the cryosphere and hydrosphere.

If water gains enough energy to change phase from liquid to gas, then it becomes an invisible gas; if that gas is made of water molecules, then it is called water vapor.