Which process in the water cycle involves water vapor turning into liquid droplets and forming clouds?

• A. Evaporation
• B. Transpiration
• C. Condensation
• D. Runoff

Answer: (C)

Condensation is the process where water vapor cools and changes into liquid water. In the air, as water vapor rises and cools, the moving molecules slow down enough to cling together around tiny particles in the atmosphere. Those gathered droplets become the clouds we see. This is different from evaporation, which is liquid turning into vapor; transpiration, which is water vapor released by plants; and runoff, which is water flowing over the surface. Condensation specifically explains how vapor forms liquid droplets and leads to cloud formation.