The water cycle, powered by the Sun and pulled by gravity
Grade 6 Science Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.
High in the sky, water vapor cools and forms the tiny drops of a cloud. Which process does Bo name?
- Evaporation
- Condensation
- Transpiration
- Runoff
Drops in a cloud grow heavy and fall as rain on Kira's soccer game, which keeps going anyway. Which process is the falling rain?
Drawing of a rain cloud over a soccer field, with rain falling. Drawing of a rain cloud over a soccer field, with rain falling. - Evaporation
- Precipitation
- Infiltration
- Condensation
Which energy source lifts ocean water into the air as invisible vapor, according to Jun's science book?
Drawing of the ocean under the Sun, with wavy vapor arrows rising from the water. Drawing of the ocean under the Sun, with wavy vapor arrows rising from the water. Sun ocean vapor - Heat from Earth's core
- Gravity
- Wind alone
- The Sun's energy
Drawing of a cloud dropping rain on one side and snow on the other, with downward arrows. What pulls rain and snow down from the clouds to the ground, by Luz's notes?
- The wind
- Evaporation pushing it
- Gravity
- The Sun's energy
After a rainstorm, water flows downhill across a parking lot into a stream. What makes it flow downhill, says Milo?
Side view: a sloping parking lot with water arrows running down into a stream. Side view: a sloping parking lot with water arrows running down into a stream. Side view parking lot stream - Gravity
- The Sun's energy
- Evaporation pushing it along
- The water's own heat
Above Pia's mug of hot cocoa, a little white mist rises and fades. What is the white mist?
Drawing of a mug with a curl of white mist above it; the space just above the cocoa looks clear. Drawing of a mug with a curl of white mist above it; the space just above the cocoa looks clear. white mist cocoa - Smoke from the hot cocoa
- Air that turned white from heat
- Invisible water vapor
- Tiny water drops formed as vapor cooled
Which part of the water cycle can Ren NOT see, even on a bright, sunny day?
Drawing of a sunny lake with clouds above and fog over one corner of the water. Drawing of a sunny lake with clouds above and fog over one corner of the water. - Nothing; evaporated water is gone
- Fog
- Clouds
- Water vapor in the air
On Tala's water-cycle diagram, an arrow runs from the ground surface down to the groundwater. Which process goes on that arrow?
Water-cycle diagram: ocean, cloud, mountain, river, ground and groundwater; the arrow from the ground surface down to the groundwater is labeled "?". Water-cycle diagram: ocean, cloud, mountain, river, ground and groundwater; the arrow from the ground surface down to the groundwater is labeled "?". cloud ocean river mountain ground groundwater ? - Infiltration
- Condensation
- Evaporation
- Runoff
An arrow on Zee's diagram goes from a tree's leaves up into the air. Which process is it?
Water-cycle diagram with a tree; the arrow from its leaves up into the air is labeled "?". Water-cycle diagram with a tree; the arrow from its leaves up into the air is labeled "?". ? - Infiltration
- Transpiration
- Precipitation
- Condensation
On a cold, sunny mountain, some snow turns straight into water vapor without melting first. Which arrow name fits, says Esme?
Water-cycle diagram with a snowy mountain; the arrow from the snow up into the air is labeled "?". Water-cycle diagram with a snowy mountain; the arrow from the snow up into the air is labeled "?". ? - Precipitation
- Condensation
- Melting
- Sublimation