COMPOSITION OF AIR

Nearly all of the Earth's atmosphere is made up of only five gases: nitrogen, oxygen, water vapor, argon,
and carbon dioxide. Several other compounds also are present.

A. Nitrogen - 78% - Dilutes oxygen and prevents rapid burning at the earth's surface. Living things need
it to make proteins. Nitrogen cannot be used directly from the air. The Nitrogen Cycle is nature's way of
supplying the needed nitrogen for living things.

B. Oxygen - 21% - Used by all living things. Essential for respiration. It is necessary for combustion or
burning.

C. Argon - 0.9% - Used in light bulbs.

D. Carbon Dioxide - 0.03% - Plants use it to make oxygen. Acts as a blanket and prevents the escape of
heat into outer space. Scientists are afraid that the buring of fossil fuels such as coal and oil are adding
more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

E. Water Vapor - 0.0 to 4.0% - Essential for life processes. Also prevents heat loss from the earth.

F. Trace gases - gases found only in very small amounts. They include neon, helium, krypton, and xenon.

This is composition of air in percent by volume, at sea level at 15°C and 101325 Pa.

Component Symbol Volume

Nitrogen N2 78.084%
Oxygen O2 20.947%
99.998%
Argon Ar 0.934%
Carbon Dioxide CO2 0.033%
Neon Ne 18.2 parts per million
Helium He 5.2 parts per million
Krypton Kr 1.1 parts per million
Sulfur dioxide SO2 1.0 parts per million
Methane CH4 2.0 parts per million
Hydrogen H2 0.5 parts per million
Nitrous Oxide N2O 0.5 parts per million
Xenon Xe 0.09 parts per million
Ozone O3 0.07 parts per million
Nitrogen dioxide NO2 0.02 parts per million
Iodine I2 0.01 parts per million
Carbon monoxide CO trace
Ammonia NH3 trace