How does precipition form? - Answers

When water evaporates, whether from a lake, ocean, river, what have you, the water vapor rises and collects in the atmosphere. The amount of water vapor any given section of atmosphere can hold until it is completely saturated depends on the temperature of the air, as warmer air can hold greater quantities of water vapor than cool air. If the air should cool, the atmosphere can no longer hold the water vapor it has collected, and it condenses from a gas to a liquid and falls -- or precipitates -- back the surface.Precipitation (rain) is part of the water cycle. Evaporation of sea water forms clouds, clouds drop rain (on land, in this example), rain flows downhill to reach the sea, water evaporates again to continue the water cycle.