Ace the Ohio 5th Grade Science OST 2026 – Blast Off to Success with Our Ultimate Practice Test!

Precipitation is the stage where water falls from the atmosphere to Earth as rain, snow, or hail. After evaporation lifts water into the air and condensation forms clouds, the droplets in those clouds grow until gravity pulls them down. That downward movement is precipitation. Once it reaches the ground, water collects in bodies of water or soaks into the soil to continue the cycle. Evaporation is the change to vapor, condensation is vapor turning into clouds, and collection is the water gathering on the surface after precipitation.