Unit 7.

7
Environment and ecosystems
 Term 3 – Week 1

Air Atmosphere Nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide

 Learning Objective

7ESp.03-Know that clean, dry air contains 78%

nitrogen, 21% oxygen and small amounts of carbon
dioxide and other gases, and this composition can
change because of pollution and natural emissions
❖ I CAN,

❖ state that clean, dry air contains 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen
and small amounts of carbon dioxide and other gases
❖ describe how composition of gases in the air can change
because of natural emission
❖ explain the effect of pollution on the composition of gases
in the air
STARTER:

PURE SUBSTANCE Vs MIXTURES –

EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCES :
PURE SUBSTANCES MIXTURES
Is air a mixture?
 Copy this slide in your science copy books

Air as a mixture of gases

▪Air is the invisible mixture of different elements and compounds that surrounds earth
▪Air contains:
Nitrogen
Oxygen
Carbon dioxide
Water vapour
Argon
Small quantities of some other gases
AIR IS A MIXTURE
REASONS:
▪Air is a mixture of gaseous substances like nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide and smaller
amounts of other substances
▪It shows the properties of all the gases present in it. For example, air supports combustion
because of the oxygen present in it
▪Air can be separated into its constituents such as oxygen, nitrogen etc. by fractional distillation
of liquid air
 Atmosphere
•The atmosphere is a mixture of gases that surrounds the
Earth
•Earth’s atmosphere is similar to a jacket for our planet
•It surrounds our planet, keeps us warm, gives us oxygen to
breathe
•It has many layers
 Composition of air

Composition of air varies because the amount of water vapour changes all the time,
depending on the weather
SUPPORT VIDEO:
KNOWLEDGE CHECK:
 Major components of air
1.Nitrogen (N2)
▪Most abundant gas in atmosphere
▪It is incredibly stable and requires a lot of energy to change forms

2. Oxygen (O2)
▪Oxygen is the vital component of atmosphere
▪Animals breathe in oxygen
▪Even though nitrogen is plentiful, we need oxygen to
drive chemical reactions that produce energy.
3. Argon (Ar)
▪As an inert gas, argon doesn’t bond or do much in the atmosphere

4.Carbon dioxide (CO2)

▪Plants require carbon dioxide for photosynthesis
▪many fire extinguishers contain carbon dioxide gas
5. Trace gases
▪ The remaining portion of the atmosphere belongs to trace gases
▪ For example, neon, helium, methane, methane, and krypton are some of the
major trace gases that make up a small part of the atmosphere.
▪ But humans can also cause some trace gases. For example, chlorofluorocarbons
(CFCs) has damaged the ozone layer

6.Water vapour
• Amount of water vapour is variable depending upon the weather
• It regulates air temperature as it absorbs solar radiation
 Home work
The table shows the percentage of each gas in air:

1.Which is the most abundant gas in the air?

2. Which of the gases is used by living things
and is given to people with breathing
difficulties?
3. Which gas can be used to put out a fire?
4. Why is argon used in light bulbs?
5. Why does the percentage of water
vapour in the air vary?

Complete this task in your science copy book

 Plenary
The pie chart below uses letters X, Y and Z to indicate the components of air.

1. Identify X,Y and Z.

2. State the percentage composition of X,Y and Z
in the air.
3. Air is a mixture; state how the individual
components of air is separated