Precipitation
Elementary School
Definition
Water that falls from the atmosphere to the ground as rain, snow, sleet, or hail. Precipitation forms when water vapour in clouds condenses into droplets or ice crystals heavy enough to fall, and it is a key stage of the water cycle.
Worked examples
A cloud forms over the ocean; water droplets grow and merge until they become heavy enough to fall as rain.
This shows precipitation forming when condensed water becomes too heavy to stay suspended in the cloud.
In freezing temperatures, water vapour in clouds condenses and freezes into ice crystals that fall as snow.
Temperature determines whether precipitation falls as rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
Common mistakes
- Precipitation is only rain. → Precipitation includes rain, snow, sleet, and hail. Any water falling from clouds to the ground is precipitation, regardless of its form.
- Clouds are precipitation. → Clouds contain water vapour and droplets; precipitation is water that falls from clouds. Precipitation only occurs when droplets or crystals grow heavy enough to fall.
- Evaporation and precipitation are the same thing. → Evaporation is water rising into the atmosphere; precipitation is water falling from it. They are opposite processes in the water cycle.
Where you'll use it next
You'll use precipitation when studying weather patterns, climate zones, ecosystems, and water resources. It connects to understanding drought, flooding, and how the water cycle sustains life on Earth.
See also
Reviewed by Pat Cheng, M.Ed. — StudyPug Curriculum Lead · Last updated June 6, 2026