AIR

What is AIR?
 We breathe, daily, actually we breathe some 12 to 18 times a minute.
But what is it that we breathe in? Air, clearly, but so what is air?

• Air is made of atoms and molecules, like everything else. Air is a

gas, therefore whatever atoms and molecules it consists of, these are quite
far apart from each other. As a result, air has a low density. So the
question becomes, which are the atoms and molecules present in air ?

• Animals live by aerobic respiration and need to breathe the oxygen

in the air. In the human body, the lungs put oxygen into the blood, and send
back carbon dioxide to the air. Plants need the carbon dioxide in the air to
live. They give off the oxygen that we breathe.
 Why is air important?
The air on planet Earth is largely comprised of nitrogen and
oxygen. Nitrogen is inert and does not affect most living organisms;
however, all living animals require oxygen to survive. Plants require
carbon dioxide to survive, which is also found in the earth’s
atmosphere. Some bacteria require oxygen, but others are called
anaerobic species, and they do not require oxygen. The balance of
the various components of the atmosphere is very important to life
on the planet.
The chemistry of the air surrounding the earth is very
important. Currently, the world is warming as the ratio of carbon
dioxide, methane and other gases increases. These chemicals are
called greenhouse gases because they cause the planet to warm
up, just as a greenhouse does.
 AIR AND THE WATER CYCLE

While the oceans contain most of the planet's water,

this vital substance also exists as ice and water vapor. Air is
important because it helps water move between these states
in a process scientists call the water cycle. Heated by the
sun, surface water evaporates into the air and becomes water
vapor. As temperatures drop, water vapor forms clouds as it
condenses. Clouds may return water to the ground in the
form of rain, sleet or snow. Because clouds move, they can
transport water to locations far from where the water
originated. This continuous water cycle ensures that life
around the planet receives the water it needs. It also helps
replenish lakes, rivers and other waterways.
AIR AND THE CARBON CYCLE
Air plays a vital role in recycling one of Earth’s most
important substances: carbon. Carbon is important because
you are a carbon-based life form and you need it to survive.
Carbon sources include fossil fuel combustion, the decay of
dead animals and volcanoes. Animals and humans also
release carbon dioxide into the air when they breathe.
Through a process called photosynthesis, plants extract
carbon dioxide from the air and use it to produce energy.
They also release oxygen during this process. When people
and animals eat the plants, they ingest carbon and produce
the energy they need to live. When they die, their bodies
decompose, causing carbon to go back into the air as this
endless cycle repeats itself.
 AIR: EARTH'S COMFORT BLANKET

Without air, average temperatures on Earth would plummet

to below freezing. During the day, the planet gets warm as it absorbs
energy from the sun. Through a process called the greenhouse
effect, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases absorb some of
the infrared radiation the earth releases as it cools. This heat in the
atmosphere causes the earth’s surface to warm as well.

AIR PROTECTS YOU

Earth’s atmosphere helps protect you from X-rays, cosmic rays and
other particles that bombard the planet. Earth’s ozone layer helps reduce the
amount of harmful ultraviolet radiation that reaches the surface. Air also
reduces the possibility that meteorites and asteroids could level a city. Most
space rocks vaporize in the air before they reach the ground, where they can
cause destruction. Earth’s atmosphere also helps moderate temperatures so
that its surface isn’t too hot or too cold to support life.
GREEN HOUSE EFFECT
The greenhouse effect is a natural process that
warms the Earth’s surface. When the Sun’s energy
reaches the Earth’s atmosphere, some of it is reflected
back to space and the rest is absorbed and re-radiated
by greenhouse gases.
Greenhouse gases include water vapour, carbon
dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone and some artificial
chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
The absorbed energy warms the atmosphere and
the surface of the Earth. This process maintains the
Earth’s temperature at around 33 degrees Celsius
warmer than it would otherwise be, allowing life on Earth
to exist.
Greenhouse effect

 Step 1: Solar radiation reaches the Earth's atmosphere -

some of this is reflected back into space.
 Step 2: The rest of the sun's energy is absorbed by the land
and the oceans, heating the Earth.
 Step 3: Heat radiates from Earth towards space.
 Step 4: Some of this heat is trapped by greenhouse gases in
the atmosphere, keeping the Earth warm enough to sustain
life.
 Step 5: Human activities such as burning fossil fuels,
agriculture and land clearing are increasing the amount of
greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere.
 Step 6: This is trapping extra heat, and causing the Earth's
temperature to rise.