INDIAN SCHOOL MUSCAT

MIDDLE SECTION
DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE
Class :5
Chapter :5_ AIR AND WATER
PART-1
We need air and water to live. We mainly use air for breathing and
water for drinking. Air and water have many other uses too.

List five ways in which you use water in your day to day life.

1. _________
2. _________
3. _________
4. _________
5. _________
AIR
Atmosphere:
The thick layer of air that surrounds the earth is called
atmosphere.
Troposphere

Stratosphere
Atmosphere
Mesosphere

Thermosphere

Exosphere
Atmosphere helps in many ways:
Atmosphere contains the two vital gases: Oxygen and carbon dioxide.
Oxygen is needed by all the living beings for breathing. Carbon dioxide
is needed by all the green plants for photosynthesis.
• The atmosphere maintains the right temperature for the survival of
living things on the Earth.
• Ozone, present in the stratosphere, protects us from the harmful rays
(UV rays) of the sun.
• The atmosphere also protects us from meteoroids, which are small
rocks moving about in space. Meteoroids may cause harm if they hit
the surface of the earth. Most of these meteoroids burn up in the
atmosphere before they can reach the surface of the earth.
Properties of AIR:
If we take a balloon and blow air into it, we will find
that its size increases. This shows that air occupies space.
Properties of AIR:
• Air also has weight. We do not notice the weight of air
because we are surrounded by it.
• The weight of the air pushes down on everything around us,
in all directions.
• We call this air pressure. Air pressure plays an important
role in our day-to-day activities.
• If there was no air pressure, we would not be able to do
certain things, such as drinking through a straw or filling up
fountain pens, syringes, and droppers.
Water:
The water that we use mainly comes from
rivers, ponds, lakes and wells. Rainwater is the main
source of water on the earth. Often substances such us
sand, dirt, mud, and germs make this water unfit for
use. We call these substances impurities.
Impurities are of two kinds.
• Soluble impurities are the ones that dissolve in
water(e.g., common salt).
• Insoluble impurities are the ones that do not dissolve
in water(e.g., sand and mud).
Summary:
• Air contains 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen.
• The thick layer of air that surrounds the earth is called
atmosphere.
• Air has weight and occupies space. It also exerts pressure.
• Water is needed for drinking, growing plants, bathing, washing
clothes and cooking.
• Impurities can make water unfit for use.
• There are two kind of impurities present in water: Soluble and
Insoluble.
Evaluation:
Fill in the blanks :
1. Air contains _________% of nitrogen.
2. The _________ layer traps harmful UV rays of the sun.
3. ___________ can make water unfit for use.

1.78 2. Ozone 3.Impurities