During evaporation, water molecules gain enough energy to break free from the surface of a body of water and turn into water vapor. This water vapor rises into the atmosphere, where it can mix with air, cool down, and condense into clouds. Eventually, the water vapor may fall back to the Earth as precipitation in the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail. Ultimately, the water that evaporates from bodies of water returns to the Earth's surface through the water cycle.
