Final answer:
Precipitation is the process in which water falls from the atmosphere to the earth's surface in the form of rain, snow, sleet, hail, or freezing rain. Before precipitation occurs, there are several steps in the water cycle, including evaporation, condensation, and the formation of clouds. When precipitation falls on land, it can either flow as runoff or soak into the ground and become groundwater.
Step-by-step explanation:
Precipitation is water that falls from the atmosphere to the earth's surface in the form of rain, snow, sleet, hail, or freezing rain. Before precipitation occurs, there are several steps in the water cycle. First, water evaporates from the surface of the oceans, leaving behind salts. As the water vapor rises, it cools and condenses into tiny droplets, forming clouds. Eventually, condensation leads to the formation of precipitation, which allows the water to return to the Earth's surface as rain or other forms of precipitation. When this precipitation falls on land, it can either flow over the surface of the ground as runoff, or it can soak into the ground and become groundwater.