Most meteors that enter the Earth's atmosphere burn up completely before they can reach the ground.

Here's why:

* Friction: As meteors enter the atmosphere, they encounter immense friction from the air molecules.

* Heat: This friction causes the meteor to heat up dramatically, often reaching temperatures of thousands of degrees Celsius.

* Vaporization: The intense heat causes the meteor to vaporize, essentially turning it into a cloud of gas and dust.

Only a very small percentage of meteors are large enough to survive the fiery journey through the atmosphere and reach the ground as meteorites. These are the ones that make it through the entire process and impact the Earth's surface.