lakes, oceans, seas, and rivers are made of water. precipitation is water that falls from clouds in the sky. it may be rain (liquid) if it is warm, or it may be frozen if it is cold. if water gets very cold (below ), it freezes and becomes ice, the frozen variant of water. if water gets very hot (above ), it boils and becomes steam or water vapor. it is moved around in the water cycle. water is essential for life.