IMO Practice Test — The Water Cycle
6 Questions • 12 min • Olympiad level
12:00
Question 1 of 6
hard
A raindrop today could have once been part of an ocean long ago. This is possible because water…
Never moves
Is made fresh each day
Is recycled endlessly in the cycle
Comes from the Moon
Explanation: The same water travels the cycle again and again.
Question 2 of 6
hard
Condensation and evaporation are opposite because one turns water to vapour and the other turns vapour to…
Water
Rock
Salt
Air
Explanation: Evaporation makes vapour; condensation turns vapour back to water.
Question 3 of 6
hard
Salt is left behind when sea water evaporates. This shows that evaporation lifts up the ___ but not the salt.
Water
Sand
Heat
Air
Explanation: Only the water evaporates; salt stays behind.
Question 4 of 6
medium
Why does your warm breath make a 'cloud' on a cold morning?
It is sand
You breathe smoke
Your breath freezes to rock
The warm vapour cools and condenses
Explanation: Warm breath condenses in cold air, making a tiny cloud.
Question 5 of 6
hard
Mountains often get snow at the top but rain lower down because the top is…
Sunnier always
Warmer
Drier always
Much colder
Explanation: Colder mountain tops turn precipitation into snow.
Question 6 of 6
hard
About how much of the Earth's surface is covered by water?
Most of it (about three-quarters)
None
A tiny bit
Exactly half is land
Explanation: Water covers about three-quarters of Earth's surface.