Water droplets in clouds become heavy and fall back to Earth as?

• A. Precipitation
• B. Condensation
• C. Evaporation
• D. Transpiration

Answer: (A)

Precipitation happens when the water droplets in clouds grow too big to be supported by the updrafts in the air, and gravity pulls them down to Earth. In clouds, droplets form when water vapor condenses into liquid, or when ice crystals grow in cold conditions. As they collide and merge (in warm clouds) or as ice crystals grow (in cold clouds), they become heavy enough to fall. Precipitation includes rain, snow, sleet, and hail, depending on the atmospheric conditions they encounter on the way down. Condensation is how the droplets form in the first place, evaporation is liquid turning into vapor, and transpiration is the plant release of water vapor—none of those describe the falling process.