Cycles of Matter Worksheet

Cycles of Matter

Read each question carefully and answer to the best of your ability. This worksheet covers the water cycle and carbon cycle.

The   is the continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth.

When the sun heats water, it turns into a gas called water vapor. This process is called  .

As water vapor rises, it cools and turns back into liquid water droplets, forming clouds. This process is called  .

When too much water has condensed, the water droplets fall back to Earth as rain, snow, or hail. This is called  .

Use the diagram below to help you answer the questions.

1. Which part of the water cycle is responsible for forming clouds?

2. What is the primary source of energy that drives the water cycle?

Plants take in   from the air to make their own food through a process called  .

Animals get carbon by eating   or other animals.

When living things breathe out, they release   back into the atmosphere. This process is called  .

When plants and animals die, decomposers break them down, returning   to the soil and air.

1. The water cycle and carbon cycle are completely separate and do not interact.

2. Burning fossil fuels adds carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

1. Explain how the water you drink today might have been the same water that dinosaurs drank millions of years ago.

2. Describe one way humans impact the carbon cycle.