Water and Air

On which kind of day would you expect the most evaporation from the surface of a pond?

• warm, sunny

• cold, rainy

• cold, sunny

• rainy, warm

Answer explanation

The Sun's thermal energy causes evaporation.

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

What needs to happen to evaporated water for condensation (clouds) to happen?

• The water vapor must rise and cool

• The water vapor must deposit into a solid ice crystal

• The water vapor must sink back to Earth and create rain

Answer explanation

The picture shows condensation, which is a part of the water cycle where water vapor turns into liquid droplets. We cannot see water vapor when it rises, but we can see when it turns into liquid water droplets. We call these clouds!

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

What helps an area have a lot of precipitation?

• Cold water and sinking air

• Cold water and rising air

• Warm water and sinking air

• Warm water and rising air

Answer explanation

If water is cold, the water cannot evaporate well. If the air is sinking (high pressure), the evaporated water vapor cannot rise easily to cool down in the atmosphere to make clouds then rain.

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

Which type of surface will have the most infiltration?

• Soil that was loosened to become more porous

• Soil that was compacted together to become less porous

• Nonporous surfaces like roads and sidewalks

• Nonporous surfaces like forests

Answer explanation

Soil that was loosened to become more porous will have the most infiltration. It allows water to sink into it since it has more holes.

Choose all of the following Water Cycle phases that gravity drives/causes:

• Evaporation

• Condensation

• Precipitation

• Runoff

• Infiltration

Answer explanation

Gravity pulls objects (even water) towards the center of the Earth. Changes in thermal energy causes evaporation and condensation.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

Low pressure means an area has ______ temperatures and/or air that is ________.

• High; sinking

• Low; sinking

• High; rising

• Low; rising

Answer explanation

Temperature and pressure have an opposite relationship. Low pressure means high temperatures. When air is sinking, it is putting more pressure onto Earth's surface, so that is high pressure. If the air is rising, it is not pressing on the Earth, so it is low pressure.

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How do differences in air pressure affect the movement of air?

• Air always moves from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure.
• Air always moves from areas of low altitudes to high altitudes.
• Air always moves from areas of low pressure to areas of high pressure.
• Air always moves from east to west.

Answer explanation

Wind is the cold air (high pressure) sinking and moving to the areas that the warm air (low pressure) left when it rose up.

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

Which side of this image is showing low air pressure and which is showing high air pressure to make the dog's fur blow to the right? (Use your right and left, not the dog's)

• Low pressure is on the left; High pressure is on the right

• Low pressure is on the left; Low pressure is on the right

• High pressure is on the left; Low pressure is on the right

• High pressure is on the left; High pressure is on the right

Answer explanation

Wind is the cold air (high pressure) sinking and moving to the areas that the warm air (low pressure) left when it rose up.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

The Earth's air wants to move directly from the poles to the equator in a straight line, but this is not what we see happen. Why?

• The Coriolis Effect is created because the Earth is too far from the Sun

• Earth Gravitational Effect is created by the moon revolving around the Earth

• The Coriolis Effect is created because the Earth is rotating

• Earth Gravitational Effect is created by Earth's core pulling on the wind

Answer explanation

Think back to your balloon activity! You were note able to move your marker in a straight line once you were rotating the balloon.

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

Because of convection, what happens to cold, salty water at the poles in deep ocean currents?

• It rises because it is less dense and moves towards the equator

• It sinks because it is more dense and moves towards the equator

• It rises because it is more dense and moves towards the other pole

• It sinks because it is less dense and move towards the other pole

Answer explanation

More dense matter sinks. Colder and saltier water is more dense. It moves towards the equator and rises once it gets their since it warms up and warm water rises.

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-6