Multiple choice

River water is harder than rain water because it

  1. is always flowing

  2. is exposed to the atmosphere

  3. contains salts of calcium and magnesium

  4. contains sodium chloride

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

River water is harder than rain water because it flows over rocks and soil, dissolving minerals like calcium and magnesium salts along the way. Rain water is essentially distilled water before it hits the ground.