Which of the following is the raw material for clouds and precipitation?

Water vapor is the raw material for clouds and precipitation because it is the gaseous form of water present in the atmosphere. When warm air rises, it expands and cools, causing the water vapor to condense into tiny droplets. These droplets cluster together to form clouds. As more water vapor condenses, the droplets grow larger, and when they become heavy enough, they fall to the ground as precipitation in the form of rain, snow, or other forms.

The other options do not directly contribute to cloud and precipitation formation in the same way. Soot, primarily from combustion processes, may have an indirect effect by acting as nuclei for condensation but is not a fundamental component in the formation of clouds. Carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, plays a role in climate and weather patterns but is not involved in the direct formation of clouds. Nitrogen makes up a significant portion of the atmosphere, but it does not participate in cloud formation or precipitation processes. Understanding the role of water vapor in the water cycle is crucial for recognizing how weather systems and precipitation develop.