Weathering is the process by which rock breaks down into smaller pieces called sediments due to various environmental factors such as water, ice, wind, and plant roots. Rocks can weather through physical processes like freezing and expansion of water in cracks, or chemical processes like acid rain dissolving rocks. The sediments produced by weathering are then eroded and transported by forces like rivers, waves, wind, and glaciers before being deposited in a new location through the process of deposition.