Which process occurs when water vapor cools and becomes a liquid?

Which process occurs when water vapor cools and becomes a liquid?

• A. The Water Cycle
• B. Evaporation
• C. Precipitation
• D. Condensation

Answer: (D)

Condensation is the process by which water vapor in the air loses enough energy to change into a liquid. When air cools, the water molecules slow down and come together to form liquid droplets. This is why you can see fog, dew, or clouds—the visible signs of vapor turning into liquid. Evaporation is the opposite, turning liquid water into vapor as energy is absorbed. Precipitation describes water falling to Earth as rain, snow, or hail, which can result from condensation happening in the atmosphere but is not the act of vapor turning into liquid itself. The Water Cycle refers to the entire system of continuous water movement, not a single phase change. So the described change—water vapor cooling and becoming a liquid—is condensation.

Condensation is the process by which water vapor in the air loses enough energy to change into a liquid. When air cools, the water molecules slow down and come together to form liquid droplets. This is why you can see fog, dew, or clouds—the visible signs of vapor turning into liquid. Evaporation is the opposite, turning liquid water into vapor as energy is absorbed. Precipitation describes water falling to Earth as rain, snow, or hail, which can result from condensation happening in the atmosphere but is not the act of vapor turning into liquid itself. The Water Cycle refers to the entire system of continuous water movement, not a single phase change. So the described change—water vapor cooling and becoming a liquid—is condensation.