You are explaining the hydrologic (water) cycle to a middle school student, and the first thing you want the student to understand is that there are three main stages of the water cycle. What are they?

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The student question asks for the three main stages of the hydrologic (water) cycle. Here are the options analyzed one by one:

Option a: Condensation, precipitation, dehydration
- This choice contains condensation and precipitation, which are valid stages of the water cycle, but dehydration is not a standard stage in the cycle; dehydration refers to the removal of water content in a material or organism, not a cycle step. This makes the option incorrect.

Option b: Respiration, transpiration, water flow
- Respiration and transpiration are biological processes related to plants and animals, and while they involve water movement, they are not the three main stages used to describe the hydrologic cycle. Water flow is a vague term and does not specify the cycle’s three stages. This option mislabels the core stages.

Option c: Transpiration, dehydration, condensation
- Transpiration and condensation are relevant processes within the cycle, but dehydration is not a primary stage of the cycle. The trio also omits evaporation, a fundamental step, making this option incorrect.

Option d: Evaporation, condensation, precipitation
- Evaporation is the process of liquid water becoming water vapor, condensation is the change from vapor to liquid, and precipitation is the return of water to Earth's surface as rain, snow, etc. These three terms together form the core sequence commonly taught as the three main stages of the water cycle, representing the cycle’s key phases from liquid water to vapor and back to liquid.

Option e: Dehydration, condensation, respiration
- Dehydration and respiration are not the canonical stages of the hydrologic cycle. Condensation appears here, but dehydration and respiration do not belong as the primary stages of the cycle. This makes the option incorrect.

Option f: Precipitation, dehydration, evaporation
- This set includes two valid processes (precipitation and evaporation) but pairs them with dehydration, which is not part of the standard three-stage framework. It also misses the full sequence of evaporation leading to condensation and then precipitation. Thus it is incorrect.

Option g: Condensation, respiration, transpiration
- Condensation is a real cycle process, but respiration and transpiration are biological processes and do not constitute the three main stages of the water cycle. This option mislabels the cycle’s fundamental stages.

In summary, the only option that correctly lists the three main stages of the hydrologic cycle in the widely taught order is evaporation, condensation, and precipitation, because they cover the essential phase changes of water as it moves through the atmosphere and back to Earth.

BIO 181 (001&002) FALL 2025 FA25: Cumulative Exam 4 covers the most important content from Units 1-4: You can do this!!! : ) [Grade is out of 150/900 pts, the same am't of pts for the active learning "easy points" classwork.]

You are explaining the hydrologic (water) cycle to a middle school student, and the first thing you want the student to understand is that there are three main stages of the water cycle. What are they?

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