What is our air made of?
Atmospheric air is made up of a mixture of gases, such as nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide and noble gases.
It appears in the atmospheric air, together with the aforementioned gases, water vapor, where its quantity depends on the climate, temperature and location). It appears in the form of fog, clouds and rain. Pollutants, dust, ash, microorganisms and pollen, are also found in the air.
Oxygen (O 2 ) is important for maintaining life on Earth, as it acts in the breathing of living beings and is necessary for combustion to occur. It is an abundant gas. Atmospheric air is composed of approximately 21 % of oxygen.
Nitrogen (N 2 ) participates in several organic molecules that are essential for the metabolism of living beings. 78% of atmospheric air is composed of this gas. Only a few microorganisms capture the nitrogen available in the atmosphere.
Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) is the gas present when photosynthesis is carried out by plants and is released into the atmosphere by combustion and for animal respiration. It contributes 0.03% to the air composition.
What are the noble gases that make up our air?
The noble gases that are part of the composition are: argon (Ar), neon (Ne), radon (Rn), helium (He), krypton (Kr) and xenon (Xe), which make up around 0.93% of the air. Because they do not produce any type of chemical reaction with
other substances are considered noble. There are others.
Water vapor is present in the atmospheric air, along with the aforementioned gases, where its quantity depends on the climate, temperature and location). It appears in the form of fog, clouds and rain. It comes from the evaporation of water from
rivers, seas and lakes, respiration of living beings, transpiration of plants, evaporation of water from the soil and evaporation of water from waste (animal feces and urine).
Pollutants, dust, ash, microorganisms and pollen, are also found in the air.
