- Solar energy heats Earth's surface which in turn causes water from the oceans, lakes and rivers to evaporate as water vapor.

- Plants also release water vapor through a process called transpiration.

- The process of water changing to water vapor is known as evaporation.

Step 2: Condensation

- As the water vapor rises higher into the atmosphere it will cool down.

- When this water vapor cools down, it condenses into tiny droplets around tiny particles of dust, salt, or smoke, present in the atmosphere.

- These tiny droplets are so light that they will stay suspended in the air, forming clouds.

Step 3: Precipitation

- As more and more water vapor condenses, the droplets will grow larger and heavier until they are no longer able to stay suspended in the air.

- When this happens, the droplets will fall from the sky as precipitation, which can take many forms depending on the temperature of the atmosphere, such as rain, snow, sleet or hail.