Things you should know...

Before you begin this chapter you should be

able to:
Define air,
Define wind

Things You Will Learn...

By the end ofthis chapter you should be able
to
List the components of air,
Explain the importance of air
Describe the factors causing air
pollution

15 Air Around Us
We cannot see air but we can feel it. It is in the gaseous state and surrounds the Earth. This envelope is
known as the atmosphere. The moving air is called wind. All the living beings, need air to survive.

Did you Know?

Whenever someone sprays perfume, the molecules of perfume spread out in the air. When we
breathe, some of these molecules enter our nose along with the air. Special receptors inside
our nose allow us to 'smell' these molecules.

76 Science-Air AroundUs
 Checkpoint
1. What is air?
2. Define wind.
3 What are the practical applications of wind?
Are there any living things that do not require air for their survival?
5. Do plants need air, like the animals? Give reason.
6. Air occurs in which state;
solid/liquid or gaseous?

Study Bytes 1
Composition of Air
Air is a mixture of various gases, namely nitrogen (786), oxygen (21%), noble gases (0.95%), carbon
Irace gases (196)
dioxide (0.03%), and varying amounts of water vapour.
Importance of various components of air Oxygen
(21%)

Nitrogen: It is essential for the growth of plants and animals.

.Oxygen: Oxygen is required by plants and animalsto survive. Nitrogen
Animals breathe oxygen and plants need oxygen to generate 78)

energy. Oxygen supports combustion

Carbon dioxide: It is necessary for photosynthesis. During Proportonal volume of gases composing dry alr.

prepare their food. It does not

Nitrogen and oxygen obvlously dominate.
photosynthesis, plants
Support combustion
.Water vapour: The presence of water vapour in air is important for the water cycle in nature.

Properties of air
I t is colourless and transparent.
I t occupies space.
and the presence of dust particles varies from place to
. I t also contains dust and smoke particles,
place and time to time.

Atmosphere
earth completely is known
The thick blanket of air that envelops the
extends to a height of 120 km. The
as atmosphere. The atmosphere
The volume of oxygen sharply
air becomes thinner as we go high up.
decreases at high altitudes. That
is why mountaineers use oxygen
Unlike fish and other aquatic animals,
cylinders for breathing.
dissolved in water. Therefore, deep
humans cannot breathe oxygen
when they go into the deep sea.
sea divers carry oxygen cylinders
with breathing problems and during
Oxygen is supplied to patients dust particles, it
with other gases and
operations. If air is polluted
fresh air. Hence, pollution
masks can be Mountaineers carry oxygen
becomes difficult to breathe cylinders while trekking
in air.
used to filter the dirt and dust particles

77
Science-Air Around Us
 Something Morel
Pollution in Delhi has increased in the recent years due to
overpopulation and over use of vehicles. The pollution is risen
to the extent wherein some
people are seen wearing pollution
masks to avoid respiratory diseases.

Importance of Oxygen
Oxygen is required by all living things to grow and survive.
Humans take in free oxygen, while aquatic plants and animals take in oxygen dissolved in water.
Organisms living in the soil such as ants, termites and earthworms require oxygen for respiration too.

They use the air trapped in the soil for breathing.

when you pour water into lumps of dry soil, it goes into the spaces between the soil and the air
trapped between the soil particles is given out as bubbles. The soil creatures use this trapped air for
their survival. There are some microbes known as the anaerobic microorganisms, which do not require

oxygen for breathing. Clostridium species are an example of anaerobic microorganisms.

Oxygen is a supporter of combustion and helps in burning of materials.

Try This

Aim: To show that the presence of oxygen supports burning

1. Take three candles and light them.
2. Fix the candles on the table, maintaining a distance of S cm between two adjacent candles.
3. Cover the first candle with a 250 ml beaker, second with a 500 ml beaker and leave the third
uncovered.

4. Observe the candles.

5. Record your observations:

Candle Observation

Candle 1 covered with 250 ml beaker

Candle 2 covered with 500 ml beaker

Candle 3 uncovered

Science Air Around us

78
Nitrogen
Plants need nitrogen to grow. It does not support combustion. Fertilisers with nitrogenous compouds
are added to the plants to supplement their nitrogen requirements. Rhizobium living in the ro

nodules of leguminious plants converts atmospheric nitrogen into nitrogenous compounds. n e d

are absorbed by the roots of plants.

Importance of Carbon dioxide, water vapour

Human beings and animals take in oxygen and give out cabon dioxide during respiration. The plants

take in carbon dioxide to perform photosynthesis. Thus the level of carbon dioxidein the atmospheres
maintained. Decomposition of organic matter, burning of matter releases carbon dioxide in atmosphere.
of the
Water vapour is caused due to evaporation in the atmosphere. It is an important component
water cycle. It helps in formation of clouds and brings rain on earth.

km
Milestone 1
1. What is atmosphere?

2. What is air made of?

3. Why is a oxygen cylinder used in operation theatres?

4. How does the smoke released from chimneys of factories affect the birds?

5. What would happen if the amount of carbon dioxide increases in air?

6. Does air filter harmful radiations coming from the Sun? Justify.
(Hint: Ozone layer)

Study Bytes 2
Importance of Air

on objects that come in its way.

Moving air exerts pressure
is based on the pressure or force applied by moving air on
the
.Motion ofwindmills and pinwheels
blades of the fan.
are used tor various purposes like pumping ground
windmills. Windmills
Wind is used to rotate sail boats.
or helping people
water,producing electricity,

to scatter seeds
and pollen grains of flowers
Air helps
the tyres of vehicles.
Air is used to inflate
manufacture fertilisers.
is used to
Nitrogen in the air
Air is also used for winnowing.

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Science-Air Around Us
 We cannot hear sound without air.

Birds, insects and bats can fly due to the presence Ol

Air Pollution
alled
quality is calle air pollution,
The mixing of harmful substances in air that results in the degradation ofair
and the substances that harm air are called air pollutants.
Sources of air pollution may be natural or may arise due to human
activity. Air pollution affects all and causes serious environmental
problems. Most of the industrial activities and burning of fossi
fuels release a lot of smoke into the air. The smoke contains harmful
gases like carbon carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and
dioxide,
oxides of nitrogen and dust, which pollutes the atmosphere. The
number of vehicles plying in towns and cities is always increasing
Air gets polluted by the exhausts of these vehicles also. Some
of the gases present in smoke from factories and exhausts from
vehicles combine with the moisture in the air to form acids. Acids
dissolve in rain and fall on the earth as acid rain. Acids harm the
plants animals on Earth.

Prevention of Air pollution

Using new and improved vehicles. These vehicles have a special system to convert some of the
harmful gases of the exhaust to harmless ones.
Treating sewage and factory wastes before releasing them into the surroundings.

Reusing and recycling.

Reducing the use ofvehicles by using public transport.
We can use unleaded petrol, CNG, and other alternate sources of energy to reduce air pollution.
.Use of public transport should be encouraged.
Using alternate energy sources by cutting down the use ofcoal and petroleum.

km
Milestone 2

1. Write one word for the following.

(a) A thick blanket of air.

(b) Undesired component/s in air.

2. Classify the following articles into two columns. Label one column as can be recycled and the
other column as cannot be recycled

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Selence Air Aroune
 (a) Paper (b) Plastic c) Metal
(d) Vegetable peels (e) Beans (f) Artificial leather
(B) Leather (h) Cardboard (0) Clothes

3. How is wind helpful in reproduction of plants?

4. Name any two articles that be
can recycled and reused.
5. can air pollution reduce, if people opt for public transport instead of commuting in private
vehicles? Explain how.

One Level Up

1. Jayanti thinks special measures should be taken to plant trees along the road side. She
decided to approach schools and involve the school students in this activity. Planting
trees not only helps to curb pollution, but also helps to beautify the place and minimize
sound pollution. What values, does Jayanti show from her behavior?
2. Tangshan is a Chinese industrial city that produces cement, chemicals, and more than five
percent of the world's steel. However, more than a million people are thought to die a
year from air pollution in China. The Chinese government is emphasizing the residents to
give up coal stoves and furnaces at home. Officials have required higher-quality gasoline
and diesel for vehicles to minimize the release of polluting gases.
What are some of the prominent measures taken up by the Indian Governmentto
combat pollution in cities?

3. Earth's atmosphere has a proportion of Ozone gas which protects the living beings on
earth from the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun. Prepare a note on the ozone layer
using MS Word and make use of tables to represent your information. Use relevant
pictures from the internet to support your note
4. Centuries ago, windmills were used to mill grain and pump water. The wind energy
rotated the sails of the mill and carried out the task. Find out how do the wind mills of
modern times operate.

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Science-Air Around Us
 Self-Assessment
1. Very Short Answer Type Questions
(a) Define the following terms:
(i) Air pollution
(i) Atmosphere
(ii) Ozone layer
(iv) Pollution
(b) Fill in the blanks using the words from the list.
nitrogen, carbon dioxide, wind, oxygen, Earth.
(i) Plants need to make their food.

(i) The envelope of air around is called atmosphere.

in) Aquatic animals respire by using the dissolved in water.

(iv) is the largest component of air.

() The moving air is called
(c) Match the columns.

Column A Column B

(a) A gas present in air and useful in making fertilizers. i) oxygen

(b) A substance in the presence of which photosynthesis takes place. (i) atmosphere
(c) A gas which helps in burning offuels. (ii) nitrogen
(d) A gas which is useful for plants to make food. (iv) chlorophyll

(e) A gaseous cover surrounding Earth. (v) carbon dioxide

(d) State whether the following statements are true or false.

() The atmosphere is essential for life on Earth.

(i) The soil does not contain air.

(ii) Animals and plants are interdependent for gaseous exchange.

(iv) Oxygen is the biggest component of air.

(v) Air is not useful for the sense of hearing.

(vi) Plants give out oxygen during photosynthesis.

(e) Rewrite correctily the underlined words.

82 Science-Alt Around Us
 ) Nitrogen present in air is used for making windmills.
(ii) Carbon dioxide is given out by plants during photosyntnesis.
2. Short Answer Type 1 Questions
(a) Make a list of components of air.
(b) How does air get polluted?

(c) Give any domestic ways of reducing air pollution.

(d) Name the species of microbes that live in the root nodules.

(e) Why is air important to the birds?

3 Short Answer Type II Questions

(a) How do plants and animals help each other in the exchange of gases

woolen blanket over a burning

(6) Why, during an accident or fire, is one advised to wrap a

object?
(c) How do organisms under the soil respire?
(d) Why does amount of oxygen remain constant in the atmosphere
(e) How do plants get their nitrogen requirements?

(f) How does air support life?

4. Long Answer Type Questions

(a) Give the properties of air.

(b) Give uses of ai

(c How will you prevent air pollution?

Practical Based Questions

show that oxygen is essential for burning.
(a) With the help of an experiment
demonstrate the presence of air in soil.
(6) Device an experiment to

Let's Compete

Tick the correct option.

of water vapour in air?
1. What is the composition
(b) 0.03%
(a) 21%
(d) 0.04%
c) 0.9%
She keeps one candie in open. She covers the second candle with
candles.
2. Pooja has lighted two sometime while the first candle keeps on burnine
out arter
an inverted glass.
The second burns

steadily.What does this prove?

(a) Air supports burning.

the candle to burn quickly.
(b) The glass helped

83
Science-Air Around Us
 CCarbon dioxide was in low supply inside the inverted glds>.
(d) Candle did not have enough energy to burn.
3 day. He shook the bottle very hard before
Karthik bought a bottle of soft drink on a hot summer
out. After sometime, he notic that there
opening it. On opening, the liquid started pouring
were tiny bubbles inside the bottle. What did he seer
(a The oxygen dissolved in the drink.
(b Carbon-dioxide dissolved in the drink.
(c) Air pressure inside the liquid.
(d The condensation on the outside of the bottle.
. Which of the following processes requires oxygen?
(a) Aerobic respiration (b) Anaerobic respiration
(c) Cloud formation (d) Lactic acid fermentation

Which of the following statement is untrue?

(a) Air helps the birds to fly.
(b) Wind can be used to generate ener8Y
(c) The largest component in air is oxygen.
(d) The ozone layer filters harmful radiations from the sun.

6. Nitrogen and oxygen together make up . _% of air in the atmosphere.

(a) 92 (b) 99
(c) 98 (d) 97

. Which cycle includes water vapour as an important constituent?

(a) Oxygen cycle (b) Nitrogen cycle
(c) Water cycle (d) Carbon cycle

8. Rakesh and Roshan got up early in the morning and went to the park. When the Sun rose and
sunbeams appeared through the tree branches, they noticed tiny particles in the air surrounding
them. What did they see?
(a) Water vapour (b) Smoke
(c) Fog (d Dust particles

9. Weather stations use this instrument to monitor wind speed and direction. What is it?
(a) Wind mill (b) Anemometer
(c) Paper wheel (d) Seismograph
10. As you go higher, air
(a) Becomes thicker (b) Becomes thinner
c) Remains the same (d) Cannot be predicted

Glossary
1. Atmosphere: Thick blanket of air that covers the Earth completely
2. Pollution: The undesired substances that get added to the atmosphere in quantities that can
be harmful to living beings.
3. Aerobicrespiration: Respiration that takes place in the presence of oxygen
4. Anaerobic respiration: Respiration that takes place in the absence of oxygen.

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cience