Air Around Us

What is the surrounding air called?

The world is surrounded by a layer of air called the atmosphere. The planet’s atmosphere is required for life to exist. Aquatic organisms take in dissolved air from the water to breathe. Plants and animals are mutually reliant on the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide from the air.

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We cannot see air since it is everywhere around us. It is a mixture of many gases. The atmosphere of the Earth is composed of approximately 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen. In addition to carbon dioxide, neon, and hydrogen, the air contains trace concentrations of a number of additional gases.

Air and its Presence

Both water and soil contain air. Air is composed of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, water vapour, and a few other gases. It may also contain particles of dust. Oxygen stimulates combustion and is essential for all life. The atmosphere is the envelope of air that encircles the earth.

Since air is invisible, we frequently forget that it surrounds us. When we blow air into a balloon, we can feel the air pushing against it. The same applies to a basketball and a tyre. When we sit in front of a fan, we can feel the air molecules flowing in the same direction.

Oxygen for Respiration

Our bodies require oxygen to obtain the energy needed to fuel all of our actions. This process generates carbon dioxide as a byproduct. The respiratory system, with its conduction and respiratory zones, delivers air from the environment to the lungs and promotes gas exchange inside the lungs and cells.

Oxygen is predominantly found in the environment as a gas. It comprises 20,948 percent of the atmosphere’s total volume. It is also present as water in the oceans, lakes, rivers, and ice caps. Almost 89 percent of the weight of water is composed of oxygen.

Aerobic respiration is the oxygen-dependent breakdown of food molecules. Respiration is the biological mechanism by which glucose is converted into ATP. Oxygen is necessary for efficient cellular respiration; most organisms require oxygen for only one reason: to liberate food-derived energy for cellular use.

Components of Air

The atmosphere of the Earth is composed of approximately 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen. In addition to carbon dioxide, neon, and hydrogen, the air contains trace concentrations of a number of additional gases. The molecules of several gases compose the air in our atmosphere. Nitrogen (78%), oxygen (about 21%), and argon (roughly 2%) are the most common gases. (nearly 1 percent). Other compounds exist in the atmosphere, albeit in extremely minute quantities.

• Oxygen – Air and oxygen are frequently used interchangeably, despite the fact that they are not the same substance. Oxygen, on the other hand, is a pure element, whereas air is a mixture of numerous components. The major component of the planet, air, contains a healthy mixture of elements that contribute to human survival.
• Nitrogen – Nitrogen comprises 78% of the air we breathe, and the majority of it is believed to have been trapped in the Earth’s primordial debris. Their nitrogen component has been pouring out of the planet’s molten fractures ever since they solidified upon collision.
• Argon –  When an inert atmosphere is necessary, argon is commonly employed. In this manner, it is used in the synthesis of titanium and other reactive elements. It is used by welders to shield the weld region and by incandescent light bulbs to prevent oxygen corrosion of the filament.
• Carbon dioxide – The carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere was 409.8 parts per million, with an error margin of 0.1 ppm. The current level of carbon dioxide is the highest it has been in at least 800,000 years.
• Water vapour – Absolute humidity refers to the amount of water vapour present in the air. Relative humidity is the ratio of the amount of water vapour in the air to the maximum amount of water that the air can hold.

What does Air around us contain?

To flourish, the majority of organisms require airborne molecules such as oxygen and nitrogen. Standard dry air is composed of nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide, neon, helium, krypton, hydrogen, and xenon.

• Water vapour – Additionally, water vapour is the principal greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. The molecules of water vapour in the lower atmosphere absorb surface-generated heat. The heat is subsequently transmitted in all directions by the molecules of water vapour. Some heat is reflected back to the Earth’s surface.
• Smoke – Smoke is predominantly composed of particles, but it can also contain hazardous gaseous air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbons. The smoke produced by any type of fire, including forest fires, brush fires, crop fires, building fires, tyre fires, rubbish fires, and wood fires, is a mixture of particles and chemicals formed by the incomplete combustion of carbon-containing materials. Carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and particulate matter are all present in smoke.
• Dust – Dust is a form of air pollution composed of airborne particles referred to as particulate matter. Long-term exposure to dust in any form can be detrimental to your health. If the level of airborne dust reaches a certain threshold, explosions are possible.
• Germs – Bacteria and viruses can move via the air, causing and aggravating illness. They have no difficulty gaining altitude. When a person sneezes or coughs, little water or mucus droplets containing viruses or germs are released into the air or land on their hands, from which they travel to surfaces such as doorknobs. When a person coughs or sneezes, droplets containing pathogens are expelled into the air. These minute droplets can travel up to 6 feet and spread germs when they land on surfaces or in the eyes, nose, and mouth of another individual.

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