Precipitation is defined as what?

• A. Water vapor in the air.
• B. Dew on the ground.
• C. Any form of water particles that fall from the atmosphere and reach the surface.
• D. Cloud droplets suspended in air.

Answer: (C)

Precipitation is about water that actually comes down from the sky and reaches the surface. It includes rain, snow, sleet, and hail—forms that fall through the atmosphere and make contact with the ground. Water vapor in the air is just the gaseous form of water, not something that has fallen to the surface. Dew forms when water vapor condenses on surfaces, not when it falls through the air. Cloud droplets are suspended in air within a cloud and don’t become precipitation until they fall. So the correct choice captures the idea of water particles falling from the atmosphere and reaching the surface.