Cycles of Matter Worksheet

Cycles of Matter

Read each question carefully and answer to the best of your ability. Refer to your knowledge of the water, carbon, and nitrogen cycles.

1. Which process is responsible for water vapor rising into the atmosphere from bodies of water?

2. The illustration below shows the water cycle. Which arrow represents runoff?

a

Arrow A (Evaporation)

b

Arrow B (Condensation)

c

Arrow C (Precipitation)

d

Arrow D (Runoff)

1. Plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during a process called  .

2. When organisms die, decomposers break down their remains, returning carbon to the soil and  .

3. The burning of fossil fuels releases large amounts of   into the atmosphere.

1. Explain the role of bacteria in nitrogen fixation within the nitrogen cycle.

2. Describe one human impact on the nitrogen cycle and its potential consequence.

1. Transpiration is the process where plants release water vapor into the atmosphere.

2. The carbon cycle only involves the exchange of carbon between living organisms and the atmosphere.

Match each term to its correct definition.