Let's solve each part of this water cycle worksheet step by step.
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1. Fill in the gaps using words from the box:
Words to choose from:
evaporates, rain, air, water vapour, condenses, recycled, used up
> During the water cycle, water from the sea, lakes and rivers
evaporates to form water vapour in the air. The water vapour then
condenses into clouds, before falling as
rain back to the ground. This means that the water on Earth is
recycled over time.
✔ Explanation:
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Evaporates: Water turns into vapor due to heat (like from the Sun).
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Condenses: Water vapor cools and changes back into liquid droplets, forming clouds.
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Rain: Precipitation that falls from clouds.
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Recycled: The water keeps moving through the cycle and is reused — it’s not "used up".
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2. What role does the Sun play in the water cycle? Tick the right box.
Statements:
- Heat from the Sun makes water evaporate.
✔ (True)
→ The Sun provides energy for evaporation.
- Light from the Sun helps to form clouds.
✘ (False)
→ Clouds form due to condensation, not directly from sunlight.
- The Sun heats clouds until they start to rain.
✘ (False)
→ Rain occurs when cloud droplets become heavy enough, not because the Sun heats them.
✔ Correct answer: Only the first one is correct.
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3. Most rain that lands on mountain tops has to run down the mountain before it evaporates again. Why do you think this is?
Answer:
Snow and ice on mountain tops are at high altitudes where temperatures are very cold. This means the water stays frozen as snow or ice instead of immediately evaporating. It must first melt and run down the mountain (as meltwater) into lower areas where temperatures are warmer, allowing it to evaporate again.
Alternatively:
Because it's cold at high altitudes, the water freezes into snow or ice. It can't evaporate easily in solid form. So it needs to melt and flow downhill into warmer regions before it can turn back into water vapor.
✔ Short answer: Because it's too cold on mountains for water to evaporate quickly; it must melt and flow down to warmer areas first.
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✔ Final Answers:
1.
evaporates, condenses, rain, recycled
2.
✓ Heat from the Sun makes water evaporate.
☐ Light from the Sun helps to form clouds.
☐ The Sun heats clouds until they start to rain.
3.
Because it's cold on mountains, so the rain freezes into snow or ice. It cannot evaporate until it melts and flows down to warmer areas where it can turn into water vapor again.
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This worksheet teaches how the water cycle works and the key role of the Sun in driving evaporation and recycling water across the planet.
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of water water everywhere worksheet.
