Question

12.15-test prep-water cycle study guide
which statement best describes runoff?
○ water vapor cools off and changes into water droplets
○ water in the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail falls from the clouds
○ precipitation that falls to earth ultimately flows over land into lakes, streams, and riv
○ water from the oceans and surface of the earth

Explanation:

To determine the best description of runoff, we analyze each option:

• The first option describes condensation (water vapor cooling to form droplets).
• The second option describes precipitation (water falling from clouds as rain, snow, etc.).
• The third option: Runoff is precipitation that flows over land into bodies of water like lakes, streams, and rivers. This matches the definition of runoff.
• The fourth option seems incomplete, but from what's visible, it likely refers to evaporation or transpiration (water from oceans/earth's surface becoming vapor), not runoff.

Answer:

The third option (precipitation that falls to Earth ultimately flows over land into lakes, streams, and rivers)