AIR AROUND US
DIMENSION CLASSES CLASS 6
CONTACT - 7389977978
Atmosphere – the envelope of air surrounding the
surface of the earth is called atmosphere
 As we go higher in the atmosphere the
amount of air becomes less and less the sir at
the top of very high mountains is so thin that
it does not have enough oxygen for the people
to breathe properly so the people who climbs
high mountains carry cylinders containing
oxygen gas with them
Air – Air is a mixture of several gases
Properties of air
 Air is colourless , transparent , tasteless and
odourless
 Air becomes thin as we move to higher
altitudes
 Air Occupies space
 Air has mass
Wind - moving air is called wind
Composition of air (a) Nitrogen 78 %
(b) Oxygen 21 % (c ) Carbon dioxide 1 %
(d ) Water vapour (e ) Smoke and dust particles
Nitrogen
 It is colourless , tasteless and odourless gas
 Major component of air
 Plants need nitrogen for their proper growth
and development
Oxygen:
 It is colourless , tasteless and odourless gas
 Is the second largest component present in air
 Supports burning
 It is important for the process of
photosynthesis and respiration
 The aquatic animals and plants use oxygen
that is dissolved in water
Oxygen is essential for burning fuels? If you invert a
glass tumbler over a burning candle, you will notice
that the candle extinguishes after sometime. This is
because the oxygen that supports burning is cut off
when it is covered by the tumbler, and hence the
candle stops burning.
Carbon dioxide
 It is colourless and odourless gas
 It has a slightly sour taste
 Used by plants for photosynthesis
Water vapour
An activity to show the presence of water vapour in
air. The presence of water can be proved by a simple
experiment: Take a glass vessel which is absolutely dry
DIMENSION CLASSES
SCIENCE
CHAPTER 15
on the outside. Put some ice cubes in it. Within a short
time you will observe that tiny droplets of a colourless
liquid get condensed on the outside surface. This
occurs because the air layer touching the outer
surface of the vessel becomes very cold and
condenses the water vapour in it to droplets.
Oxygen cycle
 The cycle of consumption and releases of
oxygen in nature is called oxygen cycle
 The percentage of oxygen in air remains
constant even though it is being continuously
used for respiration and burning. CO2 is used
by plants during photosynthesis. They give out
O2 in the process. While animals use that O2
for respiration and give out CO2 which is
useful to the plants.
 Photosynthesis and respiration are two main
processes responsible for maintain the
balance of oxygen in air
 plants and animals are interdependent on
each other and help maintain the oxygen cycle
 The oxygen cycle helps in maintaining the
balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the
air
Humidity – the amount of water vapours in air is
known as humidity
Uses of air
I. Air supports life on earth.
II. Air helps in the scattering of seeds and pollens
of plants.
III. Animals use air for respiration.
IV. Plants use air to prepare their food.
V. Packets of chips are flushed with nitrogen to
prevent their spoilage
VI. Air plays an important role in the water cycle
Air pollution – air pollution is the addition of large
amounts of undesirable substances such as harmful
gases , chemicals , dust particles into the atmosphere
Causes of air pollution
 Emission from factories
 Burning of coal and fuels
 Vehicular emission burning of wood
Role of the atmosphere
 The atmosphere maintains the temperature
on earth
 Ozone layer prevent us from the harmful rays
of sun
7389977978 Page 2