Here's how it works:

* Evaporation: The sun's heat warms the surface of the Earth, causing water to evaporate and turn into water vapor. This vapor rises into the atmosphere.

* Condensation: As the water vapor rises, it cools. This cooling causes the water vapor to condense back into tiny water droplets, forming clouds.

* Gravity's Role: These water droplets in the clouds are still attracted to Earth by gravity. When the droplets become too heavy to stay suspended in the air, they fall back to Earth as precipitation (rain, snow, sleet, hail).

So, even though the sun's energy initially lifts the water vapor, gravity ultimately pulls it back down. This continuous cycle of evaporation, condensation, and precipitation is known as the water cycle.