Precipitation is the process when water vapour is released from the clouds under gravity in the form of rain, snow, hail, and sleet.
The water/ hydrologic cycle will reach its full cycle once it has undergone through the three states of matter (solid state, liquid state and gas state) and has passed through the four spheres (atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere) in the Earth. In able to reach its full cycle, it has to go through the four stages of water/ hydrologic cycle which are as follows:
1. Evaporation – Is the process of converting water into gas or in the form of water vapour. This occurs when the water (ocean, river, lake, etc.) absorbs the heat from the sun and turns the water into vapour which will then rise up in the atmosphere.
2. Condensation – Is the process of converting gas in the form of water vapor into a liquid state in the form of rain droplets. This occurs when the water vapor that has risen up clumps up in the form of clouds due to the low temperature at high altitude in the atmosphere.
3. Precipitation – Is the process of releasing water from the clouds in the form of rain, snow, hail, etc. This occurs when the combined water droplets in the clouds accumulate together and fall due to the wind and temperature change. It either fall in the form of rain when the temperature is high or in the form of snow when the temperature is low.
4. Infiltration – Is the process of the water entering the ground where it is either absorbed by plants, combined with the other bodies of water, or gets absorbed by the soil which will then end up in the underground water also known as pure or drinkable water.
Grade: Junior High School
Subject: Science
Chapter: Water Cycle
Keywords: Condensation, Precipitation, Infiltration, Evaporation, Rain, Sleet, Hail, Snow, Weather, Climate, Atmosphere, Water, Vapour
