P4 General Studies: The Water Cycle (Paper 2 (intermediate))

2026-11-13

Tutor Prep Guide · the digestive system and the food pyramid, enzymes and bile, energy and nutrient calculations, and balanced eating habits

Paper two follows where the water goes: transpiration, runoff and reservoir storage, plus the effect of impermeable ground.

Direct answers　For evaporation or storage sums, find the amount per day or per item first, then multiply, and only then add or subtract.

01　Paper details (check answers afterwards)

Item	Detail
Questions	10
Suggested time	20
Difficulty mix	Foundation 3 · Intermediate 3 · Challenge 3 · Error redo 1
Chapter	Chapter: P4 General Studies: The Water Cycle
Level	parts of a closed circuit, conductors against insulators, series against parallel, adding up battery voltage, and electrical safety

02　Questions (10 items)

FoundationWhat are clouds mainly made of?
FoundationWater leaves a plant through the stomata of its leaves. What is this called?
FoundationRain water runs over the ground into streams and then the sea. What is this called?
IntermediateA big tree transpires 30 L a day. How much do 3 trees transpire in 7 days?
IntermediateA reservoir holds 12 million cubic metres and 25 per cent has been used. How much is left?
IntermediateA water surface loses 2 mm a day to evaporation. How much in 30 days?
ChallengeWhy is rain from evaporated sea water fresh?
ChallengeA pond holds 5 million cubic metres and loses 12 per cent to evaporation. How much is lost?
ChallengeWhat does paving large areas with concrete do to the water cycle?
Error redoError clinic: groundwater is a huge underground lake. True?

03　Answers and one-line notes

#	Answer	One-line note
1	Tiny water droplets and ice crystals.	Vapour condensing high up forms droplets, and at lower temperatures ice crystals.
2	Transpiration.	Transpiration is an important route by which water returns from plants to the air.
3	Runoff.	Runoff carries water on the ground back to the ocean, closing the loop of the cycle.
4	630 L	30 times 3 times 7 gives 630 L, showing how much trees do for the water balance.
5	900 million cubic metres	12 million times 75 per cent gives 900 million cubic metres.
6	60 mm	2 times 30 gives 60 mm, the accumulated evaporation.
7	Salt does not rise with the vapour.	Only water molecules become vapour and the salt stays behind, so evaporation works like natural distillation.
8	60 million cubic metres	5 million times 12 per cent gives 60 million cubic metres.
9	Less water soaks into the ground and runoff increases.	Impermeable surfaces send rain away quickly, so the soil is refilled less and flooding is more likely.
10	No.	Groundwater fills pores and cracks in soil and rock; underground rivers occur only in cave areas.

04　What to do after marking

After marking, redo only the wrong items and write down which step went wrong (formula, unit, or misread number).
Repeat the same item two days later; move to the next paper only when both attempts are correct.
Parents only need the answer and note columns; there is no need to explain every item.

Then try paper three, using voltage and current to work out power and resistance.Tutor Registration →

Questions and answers are written originally by the TutorZone team and are not taken from any school, publisher or examination authority paper. Every value is checked by computer.