Question

sediment transport by rivers and streams
michael and misha are learning about how water in streams and rivers can transport materials, such as sediment. their teacher asks them to design an investigation to explore how different factors affect the amount of sediment that is transported downstream by water flow in a river. michael and misha use the setup shown below for their investigation.
river investigation setup
image of river investigation setup: bucket 1 with hose, sand, water, tray, books, hole, table, bucket 2
what natural phenomenon does this investigation best examine?
a. the investigation examines water’s ability to change the viscosity of materials.
b. the investigation examines water’s ability to break materials into smaller pieces.
c. the investigation examines water’s ability to chemically change materials.
d. the investigation examines water’s ability to transport and deposit materials.

Explanation:

The investigation is about sediment transport by rivers/streams. Option A is incorrect as viscosity change isn't the focus. Option B is wrong because the setup doesn't show breaking materials. Option C is incorrect as there's no chemical change. Option D matches the goal of exploring water's ability to transport and deposit sediment (materials) as the setup simulates water flow moving sand (sediment) and depositing it or transporting it to Bucket 2.

Answer:

D. The investigation examines water’s ability to transport and deposit materials.