Air Around Us

(Meaning of Air- is air presents everywhere around us- what is air made up of- components of air in details- availability of oxygen to plants and animals- how oxygen gets replaced in the atmosphere)

What is Air?

• Air is a mixture of various other gases like oxygen , carbon dioxide , water vapor , nitrogen etc. in the atmosphere.
• Air is transparent in nature we can’t see but we can feel it.
• Air is consist about 78% of Nitrogen, 21% of oxygen and remaining 1 % is of other components.

Is Air Presents Everywhere around us?

• Air is found everywhere on earth except under water surface.
• Air is very essential for living beings for breathing.

For example:-

1. while blowing bubbles you use your mouth to blow, where you can feel that air is around us.
2. while riding a bicycle you can’t see air around but you can feel the presence of air on your face.
3. though we can’t see air but than also we breathe and plants make their food.

Air is present everywhere though we can’t see it. As we know that air is a mixture of various components, now what are these components? What are their uses? Let us learn about the components of air in detail.

What is air made up of?

Air is made up of various components. What are these components? oxygen, carbon dioxide, water vapor, nitrogen, smoke and dust etc. are the various components of air. So let us understand this components in more detail:-

Water Vapor

• Water vapor is the gaseous form of water.
• Water vapor is formed by boiling water and with the process of water cycle.
• It is transparent we are unable to see.

Oxygen

• Oxygen is a colorless, odorless, gaseous element constituting about 21% of  atmosphere.
• It is essential for living organisms, being taken up by animals, which convert it into carbon dioxides a source of carbon and return the oxygen to the atmosphere.

Nitrogen

• Nitrogen makes up  about 78% of our atmosphere.
• The process of converting nitrogen into compounds that can be used by plants and animals is called Nitrogen Cycle.

Carbon dioxide

• Carbon dioxide is a colorless, odorless gas also known as CO2, that is produced through combustion and respiration.
• In human and animal breathe when it is exhaled, is produced from the burning of fossil fuels, is used in fire extinguishers and to make fog using dry ice and is produced from decaying of vegetable matter.
• Too much carbon dioxide affect respiration and cause headaches, difficulty breathing, dizziness, drowsiness and death.

Dust and Smoke

• Smoke is a mixture of very small liquid droplets and solid particles that get dissolved in the air and can remain airborne for up to a week.
• Dust and smoke can also irritate your eyes, nose and throat, but are less of a threat to your lungs and heart.
• Burning of fuel also produces smoke.

How does oxygen become available to animals and plants living in water and soil?

• Animals and plants living in soil gets the required oxygen from soil gas.
• Animals and plants living in water get their oxygen intake by absorbing it from the water.
• Oxygen is absorbed by diffusion through gills in animals and body surface in plants.

How is the oxygen in the Atmosphere replaced?

• Oxygen is replaced in the atmosphere by the plants as they prepare food.
• Carbon dioxide is replaced by the animals for the plants to consume.
• Human beings takes oxygen(O2) and releases carbon dioxide(CO2) into the atmosphere.
• Plants takes carbon dioxide(CO2) and releases oxygen(O2) during the process of photosynthesis.