Final answer:
As raindrops fall, they engage in condensation, which causes them to grow as they merge with other water droplets. This process leads to precipitation like rain. It is a critical component of the water cycle, ensuring the continual movement of water through the environment.
Step-by-step explanation:
As raindrops fall, they tend to get bigger because they collide with other water molecules in the air, a process known as condensation. This is a fundamental part of the water cycle. Rising air currents carry water vapor higher into the atmosphere where the cooler temperatures cause it to condense into tiny droplets of liquid water. Those water droplets can form clouds. When these droplets coalesce and reach a sufficient size, they overcome air resistance and fall to the ground as precipitation, which includes rain, snow, sleet, and hail.
Precipitation is any form of water, liquid or solid, that falls from clouds and reaches the ground. It's a crucial step in the water cycle, which also includes evaporation (liquid water becoming water vapor), and transpiration (water vapor released by plants). Groundwater and surface water will eventually evaporate and reenter the atmosphere, perpetuating the cycle.