Composition of Air

What is air?

Type your name here.

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After entering your name, select Earth's atmosphere.

Air is the invisible mixture of gases that make up Earth's atmosphere.

Select any of the models that represent the different air molecules.

Select the model that represents a nitrogen gas molecule.Each nitrogen molecule is made from two nitrogen atoms bonded together.

Excellent! You found the nitrogen molecule!

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Nitrogen makes up about 78% of the air, but plants and animals can’t use it directly. Bacteria and human processes change it into forms they can use.

Select one of the nitrogen gas molecules.

Select the model that represents an oxygen gas molecule.Each oxygen gas molecule is made from two oxygen atoms bonded together.

Well done! You found the oxygen molecule!

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Oxygen makes up about 21% of the air and is needed for animals and humans to breathe. Plants and phytoplankton make oxygen through photosynthesis.

Select one of the oxygen gas molecules.

Select the model of an argon atom. Argon is a noble gas made up of individual atoms that don’t bond easily with other elements.

Wonderful! You found the argon atom!

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Argon makes up 0.93% of the atmosphere.It's an inert, stable gas commonly used in light bulbs and welding.

Select the argon atom.

Select the model that represents a carbon dioxide gas molecule.Each carbon dioxide gas molecule is made from one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms bonded together.

Fantastic! You found the carbon dioxide molecule!

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Carbon dioxide makes up only 0.04% of the atmosphere,but it's vital for photosynthesis and helps trap heat to keep Earth warm.

Select the carbon dioxide gas molecule.

Studying the composition of the atmosphere (air) is a perfect time to use a pie chart!Pie charts are useful when comparing parts of a whole.

The Composition of Air

Argon Gas (Ar) 0.93%

Nitrogen Gas (N2) 78.08%

All Other Gases 0.04%

Oxygen Gas (O2) 20.95%

Select the label that corresponds to the most abundant gas in air.

You got it! Nitrogen is the most abundant gas in our atmosphere.

The Composition of Air

Argon Gas (Ar) 0.93%

Nitrogen Gas (N2) 78.08%

All Other Gases 0.04%

Oxygen Gas (O2) 20.95%

Now, select the label that corresponds to the second most abundant gas in air.

Right again! Oxygen is the second most abundant gas in our air.

The Composition of Air

Argon Gas (Ar) 0.93%

Nitrogen Gas (N2) 78.08%

Oxygen Gas (O2) 20.95%

All Other Gases 0.04%

Next, select the third most abundant gas in our atmosphere.

That's right!Even though argon makes up less than 1% of the air, it’s still the third most common gas.

The Composition of Air

Nitrogen Gas (N2) 78.08%

Oxygen Gas (O2) 20.95%

All Other Gases 0.04%

Argon Gas (Ar) 0.93%

Lastly, select the category that includes all the other gases.

Well done! Trace gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and ozone make up just 0.04% of the atmosphere but have a big impact on climate and life.

The Composition of Air

Nitrogen Gas (N2) 78.08%

Begin Review Challenge

Oxygen Gas (O2) 20.95%

Argon Gas (Ar) 0.93%

All Other Gases 0.04%

Now that the pie chart is complete, let's review what you've learned about the composition of our atmosphere.

The Composition of Air

Nitrogen Gas (N2) 78.08%

Oxygen Gas (O2) 20.95%

Argon Gas (Ar) 0.93%

All Other Gases 0.04%

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Explore the interactive graphic below to learn about the composition of Earth's atmosphere. Then answer the 10 questions.

The Composition of Air

Select each gas name to learn more about its role in Earth's atmosphere.

Nitrogen (N2)

Oxygen (O2)

Argon (Ar)

Other gases

Air is mostly made up of nitrogen and oxygen, but it also has small amounts of other gases. For example, argon makes up about 0.95% of the air.

Select the model of an argon atom.

Large language models use lots and lots of data from the internetto make predictions about what words or phrases might come next.

What might be some pros and cons of using the internet to develop large language models?Type your ideas on the post-it notes.

Cons

Pros

Justin- do we want a pros cons concerning using the internet for generating just text or for all kinds of generative AI?Also, do we want to include a page that disucsses the pros and cons of using generative AI in general (for example, it might help people cheat or cause people to become less creative).

Next

Select the label that corresponds to the most second most abundant gas in air.

The Composition of Air

Argon Gas (Ar) 0.93%

Ar

Nitrogen Gas (N2) 78.09%

0.03% Other Gases to include Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and Methane (CH4)

Oxygen Gas (O2) 20.95%

Which gas makes up about 20% of Earth's atmosphere?

Methane (CH4)

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

Oxygen (O2)

Select the label that corresponds to the most third most abundant gas in air. Note: This gas makes up less than 1% of air!

The Composition of Air

Argon Gas (Ar) 0.93%

Ar

Nitrogen Gas (N2) 78.09%

Oxygen Gas (O2) 20.95%

0.03% Other Gases to include Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and Methane (CH4)

Finally, select the label that corresponds to rest of gases that together make up an extremely tiny (but still important) portion of air.

The Composition of Air

Nitrogen Gas (N2) 78.09%

Oxygen Gas (O2) 20.95%

0.03% Other Gases to include Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and Methane (CH4)

Argon Gas (Ar) 0.93%

Ar

Nicely done!You've completed the pie chart.

The Composition of Air

Nitrogen Gas (N2) 78.09%

Oxygen Gas (O2) 20.95%

Argon Gas (Ar) 0.93%

Ar

0.03% Other Gases to include Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and Methane (CH4)

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What is air?

First introduce the molecules in the air. 5-in-a-row using pie chart and looking at models. Then talk about their importance. Composition of Air Layers of Atmosphere

Nitrogen (N2)

Oxygen (O2)

Argon (Ar)

Other gases

Which gas makes up about 80% of Earth's atmosphere?

Nitrogen (N2)

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

Oxygen (O2)

Ar

Ar

The Composition of Air

Select the label that corresponds to the most abundant gas in air.

Argon Gas (Ar) 0.93%

Ar

Nitrogen Gas (N2) 78.09%

0.03% Other Gases to include Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and Methane (CH4)

Oxygen Gas (O2) 20.95%

Yes! Nitrogen Gas (N2) makes up about 80% (78.08%) of Earth's atmosphere.Select one of the nitrogen gas molecules.

Yes! Oxygen Gas (O2) makes up about 20% (20.95%) of Earth's atmosphere.Select one of the oxygen gas molecules.

Other Gases

Water Vapor (H₂O): The amount of water vapor in the atmosphere changes with location and weather. It plays a key role in the water cycle, forming clouds and precipitation.

Carbon Dioxide (CO₂): Only about 0.04% of the atmosphere, but important for photosynthesis and trapping heat. Excess CO₂, released from burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and other human activities, contributes to global warming.

Methane (CH₄): A powerful greenhouse gas, found in small amounts (~0.0002%). It traps heat more effectively than CO₂, contributing to global warming. Methane is released from sources such as wetlands, livestock digestion, landfills, and the production and transport of fossil fuels.

Ozone (O₃): A trace gas that absorbs harmful UV radiation, protecting life on Earth. Found mostly in the stratosphere.

Other Gases: Includes argon, neon, helium, krypton, and hydrogen. These gases are present in very small amounts and have little direct impact on life or climate.

Oxygen (O₂)

Oxygen makes up 21% of the air we breathe. It's taken in during breathing and used for respiration, which helps our bodies turn food into energy. Most oxygen comes from tiny ocean organisms called phytoplankton that make their own food through photosynthesis and release oxygen. Land plants also help produce oxygen.

Other Gases

Water Vapor (H₂O): The amount of water vapor in the atmosphere changes depending on location and weather. It helps form clouds and precipitation, and it’s also the most common greenhouse gas, trapping heat and affecting Earth’s temperature.

Carbon Dioxide (CO₂): CO₂ makes up only about 0.04% of the air, but it's important. Plants use it to make their own food during photosynthesis. CO₂ also traps heat, and too much of it, from things like burning fossil fuels and cutting down trees, contributes to global warming.

Methane (CH₄): Methane is a strong greenhouse gas, even though there’s only a small amount of it in the air. It traps heat better than CO₂, which makes it a big contributor to global warming. Methane comes from places like wetlands, animals, landfills, and the production of fossil fuels.

Ozone (O₃): Ozone is a tiny amount of gas in the air, but it’s really important because it absorbs harmful UV radiation from the sun, protecting life on Earth. Most ozone is found in the stratosphere.

Other Gases: Includes argon, neon, helium, krypton, and hydrogen. These gases are present in very small amounts and have little direct impact on life or climate.

Nitrogen (N2)

Nitrogen makes up 78% of the air we breathe. It’s important for life because it helps make proteins and DNA. However, most living things can’t use nitrogen directly from the air. It has to be changed into a form that plants and animals can use through the nitrogen cycle, with bacteria helping in the process.

Argon (Ar)

Argon makes up 0.93% of the air. It’s a stable gas that doesn’t react with other things and doesn’t support life. However, it’s useful in industries like welding.

Argon (Ar)

A stable, non-reactive gas making up 0.93% of the air. It doesn’t support life but is used in industries like welding.