Final answer:
Precipitation in the water cycle is the process where water vapor condenses into droplets and falls as rain, snow, sleet, or hail. It replenishes bodies of water and groundwater on Earth.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the water cycle, precipitation occurs when water vapor in the atmosphere cools and condenses to form tiny droplets of liquid water or ice crystals. These droplets grow in size and, when they are heavy enough, they fall from clouds as precipitation. This precipitation can take various forms such as rain, snow, sleet, or hail, depending on the atmospheric conditions. Most precipitation falls into the sea, but some of it also makes its way onto land, where it can enter freshwater bodies or infiltrate the ground, replenishing aquifers with groundwater or forming ice caps and glaciers.