Final answer:
The mass of water remains constant during the various processes of the water cycle, including evaporation, condensation, and precipitation, as it only changes its state and not its mass.
Step-by-step explanation:
The mass of water when it recycles in the atmosphere remains the same throughout the different phases of the water cycle. During evaporation, water changes from a liquid to a gas and rises into the atmosphere, leaving behind any salts or impurities. In the atmosphere, the water vapor cools and undergoes condensation, forming tiny droplets of liquid water that may form clouds. If these droplets grow large enough, they will fall as precipitation which includes rain, snow, sleet, or hail. This water may then evaporate again, infiltrate into the ground becoming part of the groundwater system, or eventually find its way back to the oceans, thus continuing the cycle. The mass of the water does not change during these processes; it only changes its state from solid to liquid to gas.