Which option is an example of precipitation?

Correct answer: Rain

Correct answer: D, rain. Precipitation is water that falls from clouds or the atmosphere to Earth’s surface. It includes rain, drizzle, snow, sleet, and hail. Rain is the simplest example because liquid water droplets become large enough to fall from clouds under gravity. A, evaporation, is the change of liquid water into water vapour, so it moves water from the surface into the atmosphere rather than falling downward. B, transpiration, is the release of water vapour from plants through their leaves; it is not precipitation. C, sunshine is incoming solar energy, not water falling from the atmosphere. D is therefore the only correct answer. A useful way to separate the terms is to follow the direction: evaporation and transpiration add vapour to the air, condensation forms clouds, and precipitation returns water to the surface. Memory cue: “precipitation comes down; evaporation goes up.”